Professional Development

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Based on a template structure designed by Global Kids, Inc.

Professional Development Curriculum Description

Overview

The Second Life Professional Development curriculum seeks to present both basic and more advanced Second Life skills in both collaborative (synchronous) and individual (asynchronous) frameworks, allowing the learner the best of both constructivist collaboration and individualized anytime/anywhere learning. Learning activities may be instructor led, and/or completed as self-taught units.

Designed to most efficiently use the amount of time needed to gain proficiency with Second Life skills, the curriculum covers major interface functions and Second Life tools in a systematic and comprehensive manner. All specified objects and resources needed to complete learning activities are provided for the learner.

The first iteration of the curriculum will focus on the skill-building needs of student learners, both those in traditional class settings as well as those in home-school and more informal learning environments. Learners will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Second Life interface and toolset, experience hands-on practice of all skills covered, and demonstrate skill mastery in the context of memorable, high interest assessment tasks.

A subsequent version of the curriculum will be adapted to address the unique needs and time constraints of educators, incorporating appropriate pedagogical justifications and effective, dynamic examples of subject-specific Multi-User Learning Environments (MULEs) that have been developed using the Second Life platform and others. In addition to mastering basic skills, educators will be prepared to design and develop resources relevant and applicable to their own instructional needs.

Curriculum Structure

The curriculum is structured as a series of sequential Levels, each to be completed in its entirety before progressing. Each level is composed of a series of Modules, each of which contain a number of Missions. Each mission contains one or two learning objectives, instruction, and opportunities for student practice. Each module contains a deliverable task for assessment. The end of each module also includes a group activity or deliverable that demonstrates mastery of the overall module instructional goals, for use when the curriculum is used in a group setting. The deliverable task, when possible, will engage the learner in global issues.

For example, a sample basic level might look something like this:

Level 5 – Basic Movement Skills

Module A – Basic Gestures

Mission 1: Simple gestures

Mission 2: Additional ways to access/activate gestures

Mission 3: Modifying an existing gesture

Mission 4: Making a new gesture

Activity: Performing a gesture sequenced poem or rap about a global issue that concerns you using custom gestures w/chat.

Module B – Basic Animations

Mission 1: Simple animations

Mission 2: Stop all animations

Mission 3: Additional ways to access/activate animations

Mission 4: Putting an animation into an object

Module B Activity: Create a custom animation that represents the presence or absence of one of the following words: “justice” or “peace.” Blog a snapshot and explain.

While introductory and basic skill levels are designed to be completed sequentially, intermediate and advanced skill levels may, to some extent, be completed at the learner’s discretion, allowing learners the opportunity to specialize in specific skills, such as building or scripting, without completing parallel levels in other skill areas, such as texturing or machinima.

The curriculum will include instruction on all major features of the Second Life platform, including, but not limited to Basic Orientation, Personalization of Avatar, Clothing, Social Interaction and Communication, Interface Use and Customization, Inventory Management, Permissions, Building, Texturing, Scripting, Media (photo, video, audio), Movement, Land Management, Environmental Design and Additional Information Sources.

All instruction is designed to give the learner a comprehensive and practical mastery of the Second Life learning platform.

Practice

Try this:

Step 1: Gestures in your Inventory

You already have some gestures in the Library section of your Inventory.

Check them out here:

Inventory > All Items Tab > Library > Gestures

You can see several folders of default gestures:

Common
Female
Male
Other

You can use all of them.

Step 2: Trying a simple gesture

Take a look inside the Common Gestures folder.

Next to the gesture icon is a chat shortcut to type.

Try typing /bow in your chat window.

Make sure you include the “/” and that you press return on your keyboard.

Did your avatar bow?

Step 3: Trying a more complicated gesture

Still inside the Common Gestures folder, find /clap and type it in your chat window.

Did you see both movement and hear a clapping sound?

Gestures can include movements and sounds and even chat. (More about that later in the module.

Step 4: Try a few yourself!

Take a few minutes and try out some gestures from each of the gesture folders.

They’re going to come in very handy in the next few missions.

Use your Camera Controls to get a better view of what your avatar looks like.

Action Plan

Now you do it:

Showing off your new power:

Want some extra practice? Try this:

Find another person. Using your default rock/paper/scissors gestures, located in the Common Gestures folder, challenge them to two-out-of-three.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, the rules usually go something like this:

On the count of three, each person makes the sign for either “rock”, “paper” or “scissors”
A “rock” gesture wins over “scissors” (Think of a rock crushing a pair of scissors)
A “paper” gesture wins over “rock” (Think of a piece of paper covering a rock)
A “scissors” gesture wins over “paper” (Think of a pair of scissors cutting paper)

What gestures might you use if you’re the winner? If you’re the loser? Anyone else around you can challenge?

3D-Construction Tutorial

Linden Script Tutorial