What’s In It for Me?

2013 ◽  
pp. 91-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Grassian ◽  
Rhonda Trueman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Knowledge Innovation ◽  
3D Virtual World

Virtual worlds offer synchronous (simultaneous) real life participation through virtual reality, combining the two to provide convenient and low-cost options for librarians’ professional development. This chapter explores the use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, conferences, discussions, mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer information sharing, with a focus on the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Definitions of “professional development” and “virtual worlds” precede discussion of the issues surrounding the use of this type of environment for a variety of training events and activities to support and encourage ongoing expansion of knowledge, innovation, and creativity among librarians. This chapter also includes information about planning and implementing professional development sessions in this arena, along with information on effective methods for publicizing these activities for parties interested in using virtual worlds for professional development. For those interested in attending professional development opportunities in virtual worlds, the chapter provides information on how to discover and choose useful activities and events in virtual worlds.

What's In It for Me?

2016 ◽  
pp. 1974-1992
Author(s):  
Esther Grassian ◽  
Rhonda Trueman
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Knowledge Innovation ◽  
3D Virtual World

Virtual worlds offer synchronous (simultaneous) real life participation through virtual reality, combining the two to provide convenient and low-cost options for librarians' professional development. This chapter explores the use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, conferences, discussions, mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer information sharing, with a focus on the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Definitions of “professional development” and “virtual worlds” precede discussion of the issues surrounding the use of this type of environment for a variety of training events and activities to support and encourage ongoing expansion of knowledge, innovation, and creativity among librarians. This chapter also includes information about planning and implementing professional development sessions in this arena, along with information on effective methods for publicizing these activities for parties interested in using virtual worlds for professional development. For those interested in attending professional development opportunities in virtual worlds, the chapter provides information on how to discover and choose useful activities and events in virtual worlds.

scholarly journals Virtual worlds: Relationship between real life and experience in Second Life

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott P. Anstadt ◽  
Shannon Bradley ◽  
Ashley Burnette ◽  
Lesley L. Medley
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
The Social

<p>Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the effects on users may be. This aids students in understanding the social constructionist perceptions and worldview of those persons they may serve in social services. This suggests the importance of developing an understanding of the relationship between users’ real life (RL) and their SL. Some research has begun to reveal the effectiveness of telecommunication and computer simulation with certain clients in the fields of mental health and social work, yet there is a lack of sufficient research done within the context of virtual worlds. The current study surveyed users of several educationally and health focused SIMS (simulations) as to what motivates their SL and RL interactions. The data explores associations between users’ RL and their SL in several areas,potentially addressing the future role of educating social work students regarding research methodology in online virtual reality interactions. Implications for social work are discussed including engaging clients using incentives for social participation built into the SL milieu.</p>

scholarly journals Towards a Research Agenda for Social Work Practice in Virtual Worlds

10.18060/1894 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott P. Anstadt ◽  
Ashley Burnette ◽  
Shannon Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Work Intervention ◽  
Transportation Distance ◽  
The Relationship

Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration. A review of current research regarding SL has examined the influence of real world social influences in online interactions and what the effects on users may be. This suggests the importance of developing an understanding of the relationship between users’ real life and their Second Life, and how the two are related. Some research has begun to reveal the effectiveness of telecommunication and computer simulation with certain clients in the fields of mental health and social work, yet there is a lack of sufficient research done within the context of virtual worlds. The implications for social work intervention in virtual reality could solve persistent concerns with transportation, distance, access to services and education, however questions about the relevance of social work practice in SL and the potential for implementation must be answered.

The Biomechanical Evaluation of a Human-Robot Collaborative Task in a Physically Interactive Virtual Reality Simulation Testbed

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 403-407
Author(s):  
Manoj Srinivasan ◽  
Syed T. Mubarrat ◽  
Quentin Humphrey ◽  
Thomas Chen ◽  
Kieran Binkley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Industrial Training ◽  
Real Objects ◽  
Human Participants ◽  
Effective Transfer

In this study, we developed a low-cost simulated testbed of a physically interactive virtual reality (VR) system and evaluated its efficacy as an occupational virtual trainer for human-robot collaborative (HRC) tasks. The VR system could be implemented in industrial training applications for sensorimotor skill acquisitions and identifying potential task-, robot-, and human-induced hazards in the industrial environments. One of the challenges in designing and implementing such simulation testbed is the effective integration of virtual and real objects and environment, including human movement biomechanics. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the movement kinematics (joint angles) and kinetics (center of pressure) of the human participants while performing pick-and-place lifting tasks with and without using a physically interactive VR testbed. Results showed marginal differences in human movement kinematics and kinetics between real and virtual environment tasks, suggesting the effective transfer of training benefits from VR to real-life situations.

Segmenting Brand Value Perceptions of Consumers in Virtual Worlds

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. Barnes ◽  
Jan Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Brand Value ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Modeling Techniques ◽  
Electronic Marketing

Virtual worlds are emerging as a promising new channel for electronic marketing and brand-related activities. However, like Second Life. This paper examines the spectrum of perceptions of consumers of four major real-life brands (Armani, Dell, Mercedes and Hublot) that have established operations in Second Life. A survey was conducted using an avatar survey bot (n=1,039). Using the FIMIX-PLS procedure (Ringle et al., 2009), an axiological measurement instrument for brand value and formative modeling techniques, the authors identify segments of consumers with different perceptions of value for each brand. The analysis shows a clear difficulty in establishing ‘emotional’ rapport with consumers in Second Life.

The Added Value of 3D World in Professional, Educational, and Individual Dynamics

2017 ◽  
pp. 275-297
Author(s):  
Ivonne Citarella
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Economic Opportunities ◽  
Fantasy World

The author focused her studies on the series of professional competences which have grown within virtual worlds, and which have been made possible thanks to two main peculiarities: the highly intuitive software and playfulness gaming. The research allowed to classify the various professions born within the Second Life virtual world, these have allowed also to become a viable economic opportunities in real life. In parallel with the observations on the dimension of “work” within Second Life, the author gave also attention to the relational and educational dynamics. The author decided to enact her sociological and didactical experiment in the occasion of the event Salerno in Fantasy, a yearly convention dedicated to the Fantasy world.

Virtual Worlds

2011 ◽  
pp. 125-137
Author(s):  
Lea Kuznik
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
Sensory Activities ◽  
Games And Simulations ◽  
Life Education ◽  
Educational Field

Virtual worlds for adults (e.g. Second Life), youth (e.g. Habbo) and children (e.g. Whyville) have a great potential for learning and teaching practices for enriching wider public and engendering collective experience and collaboration. Informal learning environments such as educational virtual worlds offer children and adults various intellectual and sensory activities or »crystallized« experiences with reinforcing multiple intelligences, according to Gardner. Virtual worlds promote social interaction and offer visitors an opportunity for various interactive activities which can sometimes not be realized in real life education. Children and adults can explore and learn in a different way and from a different perspective, e.g. with educational games and simulations. Virtual worlds represent a new medium that allows people to connect in new virtual ways and offer new challenges in the educational field.

Applied Training in Virtual Environments

2011 ◽  
pp. 928-940
Author(s):  
Ken Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Corporate Education ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Training Environment ◽  
Training Project ◽  
Carry Over

Virtual worlds hold enormous promise for corporate education and training. From distributed collaboration that facilitates participation at a distance, to allowing trainees to experience dangerous situations first-hand without threat to personal safety, virtual worlds are a solution that offers benefits for a multitude of applications. While related to videogames, virtual worlds have different parameters of interaction that make them useful for specific location or open-ended instructional exchanges. Research suggests that participants identify quickly with roles and situations they encounter in virtual environments, that they experience virtual interactions as real events, and that those experiences carry over into real life. This paper will evaluate the attributes of a successful applied training project, the Canadian border simulation at Loyalist College, conducted in the virtual world Second Life. This simulated border crossing is used to teach port of entry interview skills to students at the college, whose test scores, engagement level, and motivation have increased substantially by utilizing this training environment. The positive results of this training experience led the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) to pilot the border environment for agency recruits, with comparable results. By analyzing the various elements of this simulation, and examining the process with which it was used in the classroom, a set of best practices emerge that have wide applicability to corporate training.

Making the Virtual Real

2011 ◽  
pp. 224-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reneta D. Lansiquot
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Writing Apprehension ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
3D Virtual World

The emerging critical global collaboration paradigm and the use of virtual learning communities can form structured domains that require complementary methods for educational research. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate how the social nature of virtual worlds can be used to teach technical writing and the academic research process. A yearlong, mixed methodology, research study is used to demonstrate the effect of this blended learning pedagogical approach on writing apprehension in advanced technical writing courses. Students wrote manuals collaboratively for an audience of their peers. Second Life, the online 3D virtual world created entirely by its residents, was both their subject of study and a mode of meaningful communication.

Non-Verbal Communication Language in Virtual Worlds

2021 ◽  
pp. 394-415
Author(s):  
Ivonne Citarella
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Conscious Choice

Over the years, the virtual space has been changing, and the skills acquired by users have been improved, and the avatars, as well as the settings, have graphically become more and more sophisticated. In virtual reality, the avatar without an appropriate animation would move in jerks in a disharmonious way similar to a robot, but endowing it with a particular postural animation, you make a conscious choice of what information you want to transfer with its appearance and its posture. In recent years, research has focused on the study of communication and its importance. The purpose of this contribution is to analyze the animations present in Second Life trying to trace a socio-psychological picture of the non-verbal communication process in a virtual environment.

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