If you’re fairly tech savvy or have spent some time in virtual worlds, this post may not be for you. If on the other hand, you have an interest in getting your feet wet in the virtual waters, but your current use of online technology is limited primarily to email and surfing the web, then this entry is intended to help make this process quite manageable. Some of the earlier blog posts on virtual worlds might be useful as background, but this one will focus on the nuts and bolts of getting started.
When I’ve had a chance to talk with educators about virtual worlds I’ve noticed a considerable amount of interest, but also some concerns or apprehensions. One concern is related to the technology as mentioned above, the other relates to time issues. We’ll address them both below.
Guide for getting started
Navigating the waters in a virtual world might seem complex, but it’s really a matter of learning what keys to press. Expect to be confused and somewhat disoriented at first. Resist the urge to flee, hang in there a bit, no one you know is probably watching, so you can proceed at your own pace. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started:
- Choose a world. I would suggest either the Active Worlds Educational Universe or There.com for your first voyage. If you prefer to get your feet wet without a number of other virtual people around (as well as get a glimpse of some educational uses of this technology) try the Active Worlds Educational Universe. If you’re the sociable type and want to interact with or at least observe others in virtual space right away, select There.com.
- Download the software from their website. It’s free and doesn’t take long to download (5-15 minutes) if you have a high speed internet connection. Save it to a place you can locate on your computer, the desktop is often the easiest. Active Worlds Download There Download
- Install the software (usually just double-click the file) and it will install more or less automatically, leaving an icon on your desktop to start the program.
- Log in. Double click on your world icon and the program will start up and lead to the login page. Active Worlds makes this process quite simple, you don’t even have to create an account. You simply select the tourist option, choose the name you wish to use in the world and provide an email address (don’t worry, they don’t seem to badger you with commercial emails). For There.com you create an account on their website before logging in where you select an ID and a password. Use that information when you reach the log-in screen.
- Choose a character (avatar). Active Worlds simplifies that process by choosing a male or female tourist for you, not glamorous, but simple. You can change your appearance later, but it should suffice for getting started. There.com gives you some choice in avatars, as I recall. Some worlds provide not only a number of choices, but allow you to custom design your avatar down to the type of nose you want, but that’s for later.
- Scotty has beamed you in, now what? There are really only two things you need to know to get started, how to move and how to talk. Use the arrow keys on your computer to move around. To talk using text chat, simply click on the white box or strip (chat box) located on the lower part of your screen and you can now type in anything you wish to say. Press the enter key once you’ve finished and the text will be visible to those around you (in their chat box and/or as a bubble above your head). That’s all there is to it, really. Later, you can learn how to send someone a private message as well. Some worlds also have voice communication available, but get comfortable with chat before moving on to speech.
- Explore, both the interface and the world. You’ll see a bunch of unfamiliar icons and options in your virtual world interface. Don’t be afraid to click on them to see what happens, you won’t break anything. It’s the best way to learn. If you want to be more organized about the process, there is usually a help file available for you within the interface. Some worlds also have “in world” tutorials and during my first trip to There.com a helpful avatar acted as my guide. Just be patient with yourself and the new world around you. It’s like visiting a new country for the first time. Most of the natives are quite friendly and someone is usually willing to help if you ask.
- Other worlds. Once you start to feel comfortable in one of these worlds, you might want to branch out. Second Life is probably the best known of these open-ended worlds, and has received a lot of attention for it’s educational applications, but it is a bit more complex. Trying out one of the theme based Massive Mulitplayer Online Role-Playing Games like Lord of the Rings Online is more involved, but that’s an option you can pursue. We’ll go over the steps to enter those worlds in another post.
Time Issues
One of the roadblocks to trying virtual worlds is time pressures. Most teachers are already overwhelmed with class preparation, grading and other responsibilities. Who has time to investigate and develop something totally new? I have a couple of suggestions.
First of all the initial setup described above doesn’t take long, you can do it in 30 minutes or less: 10 minute download, a few minutes to install, and 10 minutes to create an account if you choose There.com. After the setup, it’s all a question of when you’ll choose to visit the online world.
I prefer spending time in these spaces when I wouldn’t otherwise be doing anything productive (see, no guilt). Most of us have some scheduled downtime during the day. It might be a short break when we come home from school or work. For others, it’s generally in the evenings when you’ve reached a point where you’ve done what you can for the day and need a bit of relaxation before going to bed.
Relaxing and Stimulating
I’ve found that many of these worlds have two psychological effects that might at first seem to be conflicting… they’re both relaxing and stimulating. They can help you relax, reduce stress and provide a chance to “get away” for a while like a good novel or movie. At the same time, even if you’re feeling exhausted at the time, after a few minutes in a virtual world you may discover that your energy will pick up and you’ll be good to go. They can actually function as a good break when you reach the point you think you cannot grade one more test or essay. Jump into your virtual world for about 30 minutes and you’ll return refreshed. I really can’t say that about other “down-time” activities like television or even reading for pleasure.
If you want to explore these worlds to learn more about them while investigating their educational potential the technical skills and time required do not have to present a barrier. Just be careful you don’t enjoy your virtual time too much or you’ll have a challenge finding time for all your other activities.
