scholarly journals The Social Construction of Virtual Reality and the Stigmatized Identity of the Newbie

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Boostrom, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
The Social ◽  
Internet Connections ◽  
Stigmatized Identity

Persistent virtual spaces are becoming available to users, often for free, via internet connections. Due to the immersive character and malleability of these communities, new forms of technology-mediated social interaction are emerging. In this paper, ethnographic research done in Second Life is used to outline (1) how the reality within these virtual worlds is constructed, (2) what role elements of the secondary socialization play in these groups, and (3) the way the stigmatized identity of the neophyte user, the “newbie,” is conceptualized, confronted and addressed by virtual world residents. This research suggests ways of viewing consumer behavior within virtual worlds and further social research directions.

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.

Machinima in Second Life

2011 ◽  
pp. 396-416
Author(s):  
Stephany Filimon
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Computer Users ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Legal Thinking

This chapter provides a brief history of machinima, films created by computer users within virtual worlds, and focuses on machinima produced within the social virtual world of Second Life, on how to create machinima in Second Life, and on highlighting select examples of Second Life machinima. This chapter also connects user-produced content, like machinima, with the openness and rules of the platforms in which content is created. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of legal thinking surrounding user-created content, including machinima, and points to the rise of the player-producer in these systems.

scholarly journals Knee-High Boots and Six-Pack Abs: Autoethnographic Reflections on Gender and Technology in Second Life

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia Dumitrica ◽  
Georgia Gaden
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Gender And Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Performance Of Gender ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Visual Element ◽  
Situated Perspective

In this paper, we explore the experience and performance of gender online in Second Life, currently one of the most popular virtual world platforms. Based on two collaborative autoethnographic projects, we propose that gender has to be explored at the intersection between our own situated perspective and the vision embedded in the social and technical infrastructure of the virtual world. For us, the visual element of a 3D world further frames the representation and performance of gender, while technical skill becomes a crucial factor in constructing our ability to play with this performance. As we recollect and interrogate our own experiences in SL, we argue that the relation between gender and virtual worlds is a complex and multifaceted one, proposing our positioned account of experiencing this relation. It is critical, we suggest, that studies of mediated experience in virtual worlds take into account the position of the researcher in ‘real’ life (IRL) as well as the dominant discourses of the environment they are immersed in. In this we must also be critical, of ourselves, our assumptions, as well as the environment itself.

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.

It is Only a Game

2010 ◽  
pp. 11-32
Author(s):  
Angela Adrian
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Ubiquitous Computing ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Social Worlds ◽  
Star Wars ◽  
The Social ◽  
The One ◽  
Blank Slate

In many ways, ubiquitous computing is viewed as the opposite of virtual reality. The earliest writings on ubiquitous computing recognized this fundamental difference. “Perhaps most diametrically opposed to our vision [of ubiquitous computing] is the notion of ‘virtual reality,’ which attempts to make a world inside the computer . . . . Virtual reality focuses an enormous apparatus on simulating the world rather than on invisibly enhancing the one that already exists. Indeed, the opposition between the notion of virtual reality and ubiquitous, invisible computing is so strong that some of us use the term ‘embodied virtuality’ to refer to the process of drawing computers out of their electronic shells.” (Weiser, 1991) Yet, the two share an important common trait: both are mediated by computing ability. The previous chapter introduced “MMORPGs” which are also sometimes referred to as game worlds or virtual worlds. Some of the most popular American MMORPGs are World of Warcraft, Everquest, Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, Star Wars Galaxies, and City of Heroes. Legend of Mir, Final Fantasy XI, Lineage II, MU Online, Ragnarok Online, Lineage, and Kingdom of the Winds are some popular Asian MMORPGs. Dubit, Runescape, Playdo, and Habbo Hotel are popular in Europe. (Terra Nova, 2008) Another type of popular virtual world is the social virtual world, also sometimes referred to as “unstructured.” Some popular social virtual worlds are Second Life, Sims Online, Project Entropia, and There. (Virtual Worlds Review, 2008) Categorization as “social” does not fully comprehend these virtual worlds. Each world relies to an extent on user-created content. For example, Second Life started as a largely blank slate with most in-world objects being designed and created in-world by individual players. (Second Life, Create Anything, 2008) Social worlds can also have some game-like incentive aspects. The entire concept embodies far more than traditional video games.

Consumers in Virtual Worlds: Identity Building and Consuming Experience in Second Life

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Parmentier ◽  
Sylvie Rolland
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Consumer Identity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Identity Positioning ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Initial Framework

This paper examines the link that exists between individuals and their avatars in virtual worlds, in terms of identity. The outcomes of the study suggest that virtual worlds and the social and business interactions they offer are tools to build consumer identity. This exploratory research is based on a qualitative study using the chat mode to conduct 34 interviews in the Second Life virtual world. In the transition from the real to the virtual world, the individual must build another identity and operate a transfer, partial or total, from his real identity to the virtual one. The aim of the study is to offer an initial framework in order to understand this transition and its result in terms of identity positioning. Four types of identity positioning are identified: duplication, improvement, transformation and metamorphosis.

scholarly journals Using Design-Based Research for Virtual Worlds Research Projects

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Santos
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Theoretical Issues

Due to the characteristics of educational virtual worlds, the present manuscript underlines the need for a research model that considers the social context as part of its unit of analysis instead of just the individual’s cognitive process and learning. It is proposed that such a research approach could be design-based research (DBR), because the methodology employed by the DBR perspective thoroughly meets the challenges related to understanding how learning occurs inside a complex context of activities and interactions like those that usually take place inside an educational virtual environment. To accomplish this, the DBR employs an iterative methodology, which consists of repeating cycles of design, implementation, analysis, and redesign. This systematic procedure allows theory to emerge during the process and, thus, using DBR a researcher not only understands how to improve the quality of a certain virtual world, but also addresses theoretical issues regarding the theoretical background on which her design was based to revise and extend it. The main objective of this article is to propose the use of design-based research as a viable methodology to do research in a virtual world like Second Life and to describe in detail how to do it. First, the design-based research approach is explained in terms of its origins, its methodological resources, and its theoretical underpinnings. Secondly, considering the characteristics and affordances of virtual worlds, an adaptation is proposed and explained to employ it for a virtual world research project. Finally, an example of a research project is built to show how the proposed design-based research methodology can be applied to plan it and revise its underlying theory.

scholarly journals Machinima and ethnographic research in three-dimensional virtual worlds

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Débora Krischke Leitão ◽  
Laura Graziela Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
3D Graphics ◽  
Ethnographic Data

In this paper we propose to share our experience of ethnographic research in the virtual world Second Life. We intend to narrate our experience producing machinima the method we used to enter the field and interact with residents. The production of films from the software and or hardware of video games or other real-time 3D graphics programs is called machinima. Our goal here is to discuss the possibility of using machinima as a technique for obtaining, presenting and interpreting ethnographic data.

Legal and Ethical Aspects of Teaching in Selected Social Virtual Worlds

2013 ◽  
pp. 1395-1416
Author(s):  
R. S. Talab ◽  
Hope R. Botterbusch
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Virtual Currency ◽  
Virtual Property ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Control

Topics discussed in this chapter include Generations Y and Z and their acceptance of virtual reality, the increase in the number of virtual worlds, gaming virtual worlds, and the social virtual worlds for educators selected for inclusion in this discussion. Open source virtual world platform portability issues are discussed in connection with the acquisition, development, and control of virtual property. The line between “play spaces” and real life is discussed in terms of the application of the “magic circle” test to teaching in virtual worlds with a real-money based virtual currency system, as well as how faculty can reduce student legal and ethical problems. Virtual world law is examined in light of the terms of service (TOS) and end-user license agreements (EULAs), the concept of virtual property, community standards/behavioral guidelines, safety/privacy statements, intellectual property and copyright. Ethical aspects of teaching in virtual worlds include a definition and analysis of griefing/abuse, harassment, false identity, and ways that each world handles these problems. Whyville, SmallWorlds, and Second Life are examined in terms of legal and ethical aspects Research findings and legal and ethical teaching guidelines are presented for those teaching courses using virtual worlds, with special considerations for teaching in Second Life. These topics are for informational purposes, only. Instructors should seek competent legal counsel.

scholarly journals The eSports Trojan Horse: Twitch and Streaming Futures

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Burroughs ◽  
Paul Rama
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Streaming Media ◽  
The Real ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Spaces ◽  
The Social ◽  
Gaming Culture ◽  
A Site ◽  
Media And Technology

This paper argues that one potential future in gaming and virtual reality can be found in streaming media and technology. The streaming space of Twitch.tv is both “real” and “virtual”, blurring the boundaries between the game space, social networks, and face-to-face communication. Streaming ruptures a hard distinction between the real and virtual worlds. Scholars of virtual spaces need to take seriously streaming media as a site of research, and the affordances of streaming as networked, mobile, and curated. Twitch represents a space for unpacking the social and commercial realizations of an emergent streaming culture. Virtual world research needs to continue to push the boundaries of research into games and gaming culture. We argue that an important part of that future involves the liminal space of streaming and eSports between the real and the virtual.

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