]College Second Life project extended

Evening News 24 - College Second Life project extended: "College Second Life project extended

Second Life - City College computer project. Evening News reporter Tracey Gray with her virtual self.
Second Life - City College computer project. Evening News reporter Tracey Gray with her virtual self.
TRACEY GRAY
07 November 2008 07:00



It's an internet phenomenon in which millions of people lose themselves in a fantasy world, but education bosses in Norwich hope it could be a place where people log-on to learn.

City College Norwich has been using the cyber community site Second Life since September for training purposes and to advertise vacancies, and is now set to expand its use by students.

A virtual City College has now been created in Second Life, which is an online virtual world where people can create an animated alter ego - known as an avatar - to wander around a huge computer generated world.

Harry Greiner, head of new media at the college, has spent more than 150 hours building and creating different venues including a concert stage, a café bar and an art gallery, ready for students to start using.

It is planned that students from the new construction diploma course will use the site, possibly to build their own creations, alongside creative arts students, who will be able to model their own fashion designs on a catwalk especially built on the island. The college is also hoping autism students can use the site.

Mr Greiner said: “When students start on this, a whole world opens up to them. It will give the chance for 14-year-olds studying construction, who would not normally be allowed on a building site because of their age, the chance to get hands-on and start building things themselves online. They will still have to calculate all the maths and dimensions to make sure everything is correct, it will be an excellent learning resource.”

It is hoped that eventually all students will be able to use the programme. At the moment the college island is open to anyone from outside the college to access it, but Mr Greiner says they may consider making it a closed site in the future, and added that all people coming onto the island are vetted by the college.

He said: “The site will also enable students who are studying different subjects to come together and work on projects via Second Life, we could have fashion students displaying their work and organising a show while textile students are creating the clothes online, the possibilities are endless really. This is going to be a real tool for us in opening up learning for students.”

Interest in Second Life has snowballed since it was set up in 2006.

In January 2007, Edinburgh University announced they were buying an island so students can have tutorials on the pretend beach.

The Second Life idea was started by Linden Labs and gained international status at the end of 2006.

Wannabe members are invited to join what they call the in-world.

If you want to buy land or develop an area to call your own then you have to exchange pounds for Linden dollars and start investing Playboy have opened a bunny-shaped island and there has been the first gay pride event online.

In August 2006 Suzanne Vega became the first avatar singer to perform in Second Life.

British police also posted missing Madeleine McCann posters on the virtual buildings.

Do you have a schools story? If so contact Education Reporter Tracey Gray on 01603 772418 or email tracey.gray@archant.co.uk


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