scholarly journals Help – Somebody Robbed my Second Life Avatar!

1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Elliott ◽  
S E Kruck
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
The World ◽  
To Come

Virtual worlds are fantastic places for people all over the world to come together and collaborate, socialize, as well as buy and sell goods. Unfortunately, criminals have discovered that virtual worlds can be used to commit crimes and violence against the citizens of the virtual worlds. This paper reviews many of those crimes and steps users must take to protect themselves from becoming a victim of fraud or other crimes that occur in Second Life.

Teaching and Learning Abstract Concepts by Means of Social Virtual Worlds

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Griol ◽  
Zoraida Callejas
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
3D Objects ◽  
The World

Social Virtual Worlds are increasingly being used in education, as their flexibility can be exploited in order to create heterogeneous groups from all over the world who can collaborate synchronously in different virtual spaces. In this paper, the authors describe the potential of virtual worlds as an educative tool to teach and learn abstract concepts by means of programmable 3D objects. They describe the main experiences carried out recently in the application of these technologies in transnational educational activities that combine the Moodle learning resources and programmable 3D objects in the Second Life virtual world.

3D Design and Collaboration in Massively Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs)

2010 ◽  
pp. 27-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Warburton ◽  
Margarita Pérez García
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
3D Design ◽  
Steep Learning Curve ◽  
Art And Design ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The World ◽  
Collaborative Activities

This chapter describes an exploratory study in the use of the virtual world Second Life as an innovative space for situating collaborative activity in the field of art and design. The authors identify eight key affordances of Second Life for learning and teaching and elaborate the educational approach based on group orientated design briefs, carried out over a three-week period by the students. The results of the study reveal both the negative and positive aspects of using Second Life as an educational space. These range from access difficulties and the steep learning curve in becoming familiar with the technology, to the expansive social and creative freedoms that the world allows. The conclusions draw together an analysis of the emerging themes and present a set of ten good practices for developing and running successful collaborative activities inside virtual worlds.

Teaching and Learning Abstract Concepts by Means of Social Virtual Worlds

2019 ◽  
pp. 314-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Griol ◽  
Zoraida Callejas
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
3D Objects ◽  
The World

Social Virtual Worlds are increasingly being used in education, as their flexibility can be exploited in order to create heterogeneous groups from all over the world who can collaborate synchronously in different virtual spaces. In this paper, the authors describe the potential of virtual worlds as an educative tool to teach and learn abstract concepts by means of programmable 3D objects. They describe the main experiences carried out recently in the application of these technologies in transnational educational activities that combine the Moodle learning resources and programmable 3D objects in the Second Life virtual world.

Understanding Purchasing Behavior within Virtual Worlds

2013 ◽  
pp. 79-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas M. Kaplan ◽  
Michael Haenlein
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Impulse Buying ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Consumption Experience ◽  
Behavior Theories ◽  
To Come

Although the hype around virtual worlds has slowed down in recent months, chances are high that this type of social media will increase in importance over years to come. Many companies which pioneered in entering virtual worlds have left these environments after their first steps. One of the reasons for these initial failures is likely the lack of understanding of in-world consumers and their expectations toward virtual commerce. The purpose of the authors’ chapter is therefore to investigate consumer purchase behavior within the virtual social world Second Life. Specifically, the authors analyze the types of purchase behavior consumers show within such an environment (planned purchases vs. impulse buying) and the factors that influence the decision to buy virtual products and services in exchange for real life money. For this, the authors’ study is based on a combination of a qualitative pre-study consisting of 29 in-depth interviews and a quantitative analysis based on responses obtained from a representative sample of 580 Second Life residents. The authors’ analysis results in the following three findings: First, the authors show that Second Life residents engage in two different types of purchase behavior: planned purchases and impulse buying. Second, the authors show that traditional consumer behavior theories and concepts can be transferred to similar behavior in a virtual world, although with different degrees of importance for different variables. And finally, the authors show that a Second Life resident’s usage intensity and consumption experience have a significant moderating influence on planned purchase behavior but not on impulse buying. From a managerial perspective, the authors’ results imply that Real Life companies that maintain Second Life flagship stores may consider communicating about their virtual products and services within real life. Additionally, Second Life stores should try to make the purchasing process as simple and convenient as possible (in order to increase planned purchases) and to create an overall exciting and pleasant shopping environment to elicit positive emotions among their potential customers (in order to maximize the probability of impulse buying). Finally, since purchasing behavior within Second Life appears to be more individualistic than what can be observed in real life, firms can consider offering virtual products and services in Second Life that are highly extravagant and may never be purchased in Real Life due to fear of other people’s opinions-–which is likely to be of particular importance for fashion goods.

WHY PEOPLE JOIN VIRTUAL WORLDS OF COMPUTER GAMES? QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AMONGST POLISH USERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Hofman-Kohlmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Target Market ◽  
The World ◽  
Game Environment ◽  
Game Developers ◽  
Depth Interviews

Introduction: When virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life or World of Warcraft) became immensely popular, with millions of active users around the world, real life companies started to utilize them for business purposes, such as testing new products or organizing various events. However, the activities of companies can only be successful if a sufficient number of players are engaged in virtual worlds. Objectives: The present paper is aimed to investigate individual players’ motives for joining virtual worlds of computer games. Methods: The author carried out 22 in-depth interviews amongst polish players (20 were finally accepted) of three virtual worlds: The Sims, Second Life and Euro Track Simulator 2. Interviews were carried out from August 21, 2018 to December 5, 2018. Results: Respondents most frequently mentioned consecutively: curiosity (caused by TV series, TV programme, newspaper or advertisement), interact with others, interest in the topic of a game, enjoyment from playing, opportunity to see or do things unattainable in real life, exploring the virtual world, spending free time. With reference to the gratification paradigm, individual motivations were divided into: experiential (16 motives), functional (6 motives), social (3 motives). From the perspective of marketing managers, understanding the motivations of players allows them to describe the target market of their promotional activities inside the game environment. For game developers, it can help attract new and maintain current users.

Eidsvoll 1814

2012 ◽  
pp. 171-185
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Prasolova-Forland ◽  
Ole Ørjan Hov
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Practical Reasons ◽  
Historical Building ◽  
Constituent Assembly ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Work

3D Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) or virtual worlds have been widely used in educational settings for the purposes of simulation and demonstration of scientific concepts, art and historical events that for practical reasons may be complicated in real-life classrooms. This paper describes an experience of recreating a central event in Norwegian history, adoption of Norwegian constitution at Eidsvoll in 1814, in the virtual world of Second Life. The historical building where this event took place was reconstructed and used as a part of an online history course where Norwegian students residing all over the world could meet at Virtual Eidsvoll, play the role of the members of the Constituent Assembly and pass the constitution. Following the description of the experience with the Virtual Eidsvoll project, the authors conclude with a critical discussion of using 3D CVEs for history education, outlining directions for future work.

scholarly journals Lessons learned from the birth and evolution of the EduFinland virtual community for educators

2012 ◽  
pp. 88-96
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Traditional Classrooms ◽  
The World

Educators around the world are experimenting with the possibilities virtual three dimensional worlds have for education and learning how to use these new environments efficiently. Virtual worlds have the potential to bring some new added value to education and educators can use them to create something that is not possible to do or show in traditional classrooms. Although a lot have been learned about virtual worlds and their potential, a lot more has to be learned before virtual worlds can become an integrated part of education on various levels. The article looks back at the birth and growth of the EduFinland community in the virtual world of Second Life and discusses lessons learned so far during the years of its existence.

A Pedagogical Odyssey in Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds

2011 ◽  
pp. 248-267
Author(s):  
Sharon Stoerger
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
The World ◽  
Life Model ◽  
Henry Ford

Schools based in the United States are trapped in a Henry Ford factory model of education that is focused on high-stakes testing. This model was effective when factories needed workers who possessed the same skill set. But the world has changed and societal demands on student learning have increased. Moreover, millions of students are failing to graduate from high school, which is a problem that continues to escalate. In an attempt to prepare students for work in the 21st century and to address the dropout crisis, educators are examining ways to integrate virtual worlds, including digital games, into the curriculum. This chapter begins by summarizing some of the theories that commonly frame the discussions about these worlds. Next an examination of the issues surrounding virtual worlds is presented. The concluding sections outline and describe the pedagogical mnemonic known as the “SECOND LIFE” model.

scholarly journals Virtual Laboratories and Virtual Worlds

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 447-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piet Hut
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Virtual Labs ◽  
Virtual Lab ◽  
Virtual Laboratories ◽  
The World ◽  
On Line ◽  
Line Technology

AbstractSince we cannot put stars in a laboratory, astrophysicists had to wait till the invention of computers before becoming laboratory scientists. For half a century now, we have been conducting experiments in our virtual laboratories. However, we ourselves have remained behind the keyboard, with the screen of the monitor separating us from the world we are simulating. Recently, 3D on-line technology, developed first for games but now deployed in virtual worlds like Second Life, is beginning to make it possible for astrophysicists to enter their virtual labs themselves, in virtual form as avatars. This has several advantages, from new possibilities to explore the results of the simulations to a shared presence in a virtual lab with remote collaborators on different continents. I will report my experiences with the use of Qwaq Forums, a virtual world developed by a new company (see http://www.qwaq.com).

Accounting Implications in Virtual Worlds

2011 ◽  
pp. 266-272
Author(s):  
Jorge A. Romero
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
The World

In fact, many users are making a substantial living out of their virtual income, even generating an equivalent of more than $100,000 in real world dollars (Hemp, 2006). On average, Second Life members spend $1.5 million per day on virtual transactions, including virtual real estate transactions (Alter, 2008). While it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the number of Second Life users due to the dynamic environment, and one in which one user may be represented by more than one avatar, Second Life is estimated to have more than 6.6 million active users from around the world (Moran, 2007), up from a handful of users in 2003 when Second Life started to gain popularity (Wiki Second Life, 2010).

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