1. Beyond Blogs:
Exploring Virtual Worlds
for use in History and
English Education
Annabel Astbury | HTAV

2. Who am I?

3. Today’s session is about...
Possibilities and realities

4. Web 1.0 or Web 2.0 or ‘Web 3.0’?

5. Web 1.0 ScreenFlow
QuickTimeª and a
H.264 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

6. Web 2.0
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7. So, what are virtual worlds?
MUVEs
&
MMORPGs

8. Where can we see virtual worlds?
11m
1m
17m
45m13m
17m
90m

10. Virtual World Usage
Data retrieved 19/11/2008:
http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/10-200091.jpg
Permission granted to reproduce

11. Role-Playing Games
:

12. Quest Atlantis
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Video url: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=J_E70jOKsjs uploaded by slyshadowsnacks

13. Teen Second Life
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGMH_1VnnaY Uploaded by Holymeatballs

14. So, why would ‘we’ use it to teach?

15. It can do more, though ...

16. … that leads to ...

17. What’s my approach? What do you think?
Photo: Samanathon via Flickr
Photo: sciminal via Flickr
+ =

19. So what can you ‘do’ in Second Life or in a Multi User
Virtual Environment?
Create
Perform
Research
Collaborate
Discuss
Reflect
Role-play
But a question remains:

20. Don’t go for all or nothing: would you ever use only one textbook,
novel, point of view, kind of assessment in class?
Consider the advantages:
Role-play
Creativity
Performance
Collaboration
Digital Story Telling
Development of literacies: including historical, digital and visual.
Why would you use this environment?

21. What are the problems?
Infrastructure:
Bandwidth
Machines
Access
Budgets
Skills
Appropriate expertise / time for skills’ development
Students need to have expertise
Safety
Multi-user (public)
Multi-user (private)Using ‘commercial’ worlds

22. Literature Alive - Second Life
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23. Let’s look at some examples: SecondLife Simulations
City of Gilgamesh: Federation of American Scientists

24. QuickTimeª and a
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25. David Rumsey Map Collections
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26. QuickTimeª and a
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27. Civilizations IV (trans. Civilisations IV)
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d7fcf5a4421229c946c0 uploaded by mclemson on TeacherTube

28. Professional Learning / Discussions:
Jokaydia
SL in Education Wiki:
www.sleducation.wikispaces.com

29. Where am I at now?

30. How can you learn more?
Contact me: Annabel Astbury
Have a go!: Let’s meet up in
Second Life!
a.astbury@htav.asn.au
Skype: annabel_astbury
Diigo: astbury
Second Life: Annabel Recreant