Second Life Education Research

Yesterday BoingBoing posted an NPR interview with Cory Doctorow and Vernor Vinge about the technological singularity (listen here).  The piece suggests that a technological singularity is on the horizon, one in which the human race will virtually become a new species, one which is bonded with technology in networked and augmented intelligence.

If you’ve read any […]

If you read my blog you know I’m infatuated with digital identity construction. One of the best techniques to establishing a strong and useful digital identity is to be consistent with your “name” everywhere you go so people can recognize you. There have been a few attempts to do this with Trillian, ClaimID, and others. […]

I’ll admit that as I draft I wind up asking more questions than I answer but I’m getting there.
Lit review:
what areas of lit do I need to explore?

power relationships in classrooms
student and teacher roles
impact of technology on communication patterns
body language and communication
shifting identities and dynamic identity creation

What problem am I solving:

instructor’s role in a MUVE
difficulties […]

Epicurus. I know what you’re thinking. Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who encouraged folks to eat, drink, and be merry. That’s not really true. He’s been given a bad rap in modern times.
Certainly, if you think of Epicurean philosophy as hedonistic then applying it to SecondLife seems pretty easy. Everyone is beautiful; they can eat […]

Well I gave it a shot and I can’t believe the impact it had on me and the way I see my avatar as an extension of myself. First, even though it was my idea in the first place, I couldn’t believe how nervous this made me. I had time to do it but I […]

Episode 4 of the Intellacast is here

To subsribe click here

What an incredible conversation tonight! A dozen or so of us met at Trotsky’s (Rubaiyat Shatner’s place) and talked about identity issues. Folks who attended: Rubaiyat Shatner, Amy Freelunch, Lloud Laffer, Kate Spatula, Cyrus Huffhines, Alfie Eponym, Rand Mcnally, Farley Scarbrough, Milosun Czervik, Naiad Remblai, Audio Zenith,  Danielle Damone, Claude Desmoulins, Corwin Carillon and a […]

The Intellacast Episodes 2 and 3 are available. This time around Jeremy Kemp (SL: Jeremy Kabumpo also the great guy who made Simteach) and I talk about identity in SL. The first half (episode 2) focuses on development of digital identity in SL. Episode 3 is the second half of the conversation and focuses more […]

I’ve been developing a theory of identity that will accomodate emerging digital identities and the conflicts and dichotomies that often arise from them.
Click here to see the diagram I’m working on right now. It’s a bit complex and somewhat untested so I’ll be podcasting about it a bit later to explain it better.

Ever feel like maybe, just maybe, you have too much to say to fit into the time and funds you have to attend confereces to say it? Pheww! If this one is accepted it will be six conferences for the next year all on SecondLife research. Way to advertise that diss, right?

“Please don’t attend class […]

During the SecondLife Community Conference in August, there will be a day long education summit with panels, roundtable discussions and poster displays. This is the abstract I submitted. Feel free to comment.
“Image Slippage”: Navigating the Dichotomies of an Academic Identity in a Nonacademic Virtual World

In a sense, all residents of SecondLife are performers. Whether performing […]

My first podcast!Click here for Episode 1 of the Intellacast!