EDUCEDGE,

[original post 11/10/08]

What was orientation island like? Could you find help as needed? Where did you go? Did you speak to other avatars? What would improve the experience, if anything? What previous knowledge and skills helped you?

When I first went to the LL Orientation Island, I thought that I should dutifully go through all the steps for fear of missing out on an important information or skill activity. It turned out that I learned about SL on my own and by getting some perspectives of other aspects of SL that I have not known (still now) by reading Meadows “I Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life” which was less about the consequences than a narrative of what is out there in the outerlimits of SL experiences. No judgments. Just stating what is there. In my turn, I discovered what was there by reading wihtout judging, but knowing what I want and what I don’t want to experience. Like in any cities or at the mall, I guess. I won’t gravitate toward what I might perceive a potential trouble or something too much out of my comfort zone.

I found the orientation island limited and limiting. I have been directing people toward the NMC island instead. It does require to join the group, but it is free and there is a lot to gain when one is new to SL (or even not so new) and an educator. Orientation Island was also not very conducive to meeting others….although it was probably me not feeling comfortable enough to chat with strangers.
In fact in the course of my SL evolution, I have to admit that like most, I spent a good portion of my pixelated development as a lurker. I would listen, watch, and discreetly withdraw if participation was asked from an audience. Maybe as a comparison to Spore, we could develop developmental stages similar to spore>individual>community>space.
In SL, I was a lurker first. Then I developed into a fearful toodler: my playdoh being this prim thing that apparently I could create, modify, etc. I actually started modifying what I could get my hands on, and then I figured out how to create from scratch. I guess this could be compared to trying my dudding teeth on the prim toy and then graduating to glue those sticks into some sort of creative activity.
After a few crashes, I realized that there was really nothing to worry about. Yes, I got griefed once, But I simply teleported to my home and went about my business. And no matter what, I would simply relog….Although I did recently discovered that lag can be an element of misunderstanding: I though that I had turned an entire sim in black when in fact, it was the lag that I was experiencing that showed me something 2 stages behind what I had done. I relogged, and guess what? yep….everything was fine. Well, I had IMed a couple of colleagues with a desperate plea, asking them to stop by and tell me if indeed what I saw was what they saw too. I really thought that my landowner would have killed me by then.

Improving my experience has been accomplished and continue to happen through my many interactions with colleagues in SL. I can’t emphasize enough the generosity of the SL educator community. I am simply blown away by the standing quality of exchange, feedback and mentorship that is going on. In fact, I have never seen this level of trust as part of a system. Yes, there is discussion of academic ethics and copyright issues….but these discussions have come along as Academia decided that ‘possibly’ SL could be of interest.

Today newbies have great resources that really enhance their experiences compared to the earlier days. Personally, I subscribe to the ever so prolific SLED listserv (’prolific’ you are warned!) and my inworld groups changed as my skills, interests, and demands evolve.

Prior knowledge and skills: Personally, I was never a loyal gamer –as the assumption goes for social platforms such as SL. What has helped me in SL is my insatiable interest in gadgets, puzzles, and boxes. I have to know how things work and if I can do this while enjoying the process…..then i’ve got myself a few years under the belt as a convinced SL user (for education).
However, in the discussions that my RezEd-based group “Social Presence in Virtual Worlds” has hosted (particularly the Social Presence Effects thread), some educators have mentioned that gaming experiences might help with the familiarty of the keyboard short cuts, and the orientation inside the platform. But we have all agreed that the USE of the platform for education is more efficiently done by instructors who’ve had a training or experience in distance learning, rather than the gamers’ skills set. (also as a summary in an article in the first RezEd Report, p15)