I’m sorry I missed it. I had my account set up, and took one late night excursion — and fell down a hill, I think. Alas, one of my tasks for Friday ended out taking longer than I’d hoped, and I wasn’t able to join you guys.

I agree with some skepticism about using 2nd life classrooms. However, what about using something like this as a homework space. Not for teaching, but for collaborative learning. This is where students would spend part of their time as they are completing the tasks that we assign them in the classroom.

I believe that we have to be thinking less about, “What can we do here that we do in our classrooms,” and more about, “What can we do here that we CAN’T do in our classrooms.”

Again, I share your skepticism. I suspect that I’ll never be anywhere near at home in virtual environments. Still, these aging bones don’t creek so much yet that frolicking across a digital meadow has the appeal — it may have thirty years from now.

As to the technology, well, yes, there is a problem inasmuch as SL is limited to people with wired broadband but it will run on hardware that it ‘officially’ shouldn’t – I get on using an old Dell Inspiron with one of those Intel graphics chipsets that should never work with it.

I think it is worth investing time in SL because that sort of virtual world, using open source technology, will become very common in the next two or three years. I can see many colleges and schools running their own virtual worlds in a few years. We’re dealing with kids now who play warcraft all the time, they’re going to be very comfortable living in virtual worlds. I teach some international relations courses, and I can see ways I can use SL to enchance class simulations.

Mike

One of the interesting things about second life is that it exposes the vagueries of the computer industry. The biggest reason for system failures is video drivers that are not updated. I was working on a card today that costs about 35 bucks now, downloaded the new drivers, and had no problem.

And skypecast, well, its still a beta. And an early one, being released only a few weeks ago. I’m not sure about it long term, certainly for the solo user. When jeff and i are both running the show its no biggie, then you can have someone talking and someone muting… It is however, nice to have a place you can send people who can’t get the live audio.

As for the ‘tour relying on different technologies to communicate’ Tom, (dave shakes his head), that’s what we do, live webcasting. It wasn’t a case of reliance. it actually would have probably been simpler to not use the webcast. Your graciousness, as always, is appreciated.

I was just sorry I missed it. Once I worked out the time difference, I was as predicted, taking the dogs to stay at my mum’s for the weekend.

I was sorry I couldn’t be there for the guided tour. I’ll need to explore SecondLife on my own now, and that always takes longer.