Educational Demos in SL

Here is an initial cut at a demo scenario. I’ll explain about it later. For now, just run it through your imagination and see how you think educators who have just met SL would react. Please don’t just read. See.

Scenario 1.1

Scene: Several avatars seated in Iron Perth’s outdoor classroom. Night, just after dusk. Full moon looms over the lecture stage, low on the horizon. Large sign on the stage: VISITING THE PLANETS. Smaller sign below: IMAGINATION IS YOUR TICKET. Both signs in boring black block letters.

Camera starts with broad view of avatars. They represent a mix of high school and collect types. One looks to be Professor Type. Perhaps another looks like a grade-school child.

Camera shifts to the signs and lingers over IMAGINATION. IMAGINATION turns into multicolored spots that fly upward like butterflies.

Back to the avatars. Professor type points just to the left of the moon. The others look in that direction. Camera moves to see over their shoulders, follows the gaze and to show two bright dots. (These are Venus and Jupiter, borrowed from Aimee Webber.)
Back to the avatars. In double exposure form, a semi-transparent version of each avatar stands up. The solid versions are immobile. The moving avatars represent imagination. I hope we can get this across without verbal explanation.

The imagined avatars lift off. They look down. Camera follows the gaze, shows the shrinking classroom (with stationary avatars) from above. Camera moves to bring the flying avatars into the frame. (In general, camera will have the avatars in the frame when it shows what they are seeing. They lose transparency after the first cut.)

As they rise, they pick up sunlight and look back to see the sun emerge from behind the Earth. They look ahead at the enlarging moon. One asks if we have time to see Tranquility base. Professor Type points. Target spot appears. Audio presents countdown, “the Eagle has landed,” and other relevant sounds. Images (from particle generator) emerge from the moon and show a few relevant scenes. (Need: people to write and voice dialog.)

Professor Type indicates that we just mark have time to mark the spot now. We’ll come back later. As we fly by the moon, we clearly see phases. Professor Type may point them out and point out similar phases on Venus. We pass Venus quickly and soon see Jupiter growing before us. We see Europa in front of Jupiter. Someone asks if we can stop by Europa. Professor Type points that way and we move toward it.

Someone asks how Europa compares to Earth. Professor Type says: “Sure. But it will take us a few minutes to bring the Earth here, so let’s take a break.”

**End** Tease the second episode, where we find out whether Professor Type can really bring the earth to Jupiter. Roll credits. I will post the follow up (1.1) in a few days.

Scenario 1.2
Background: Our previous episode demonstrated a possible learning event in SL. I intended it to display the theme, “Imagination is your ticket to learning.” And to show how this theme could be implemented in SL. The Educator-Viewer might watch this demo and say:

“Interesting. But much like what I can get from my A-V office. What does SL give me that I don’t get from stock videos?”

We know, of course, that the difference between VR and videos is that in VR you interact with the scenery. We know that 1.1 is not about making more videos. It is a depiction of a field trip could realistically happen in SL.

The objective of 1.2 is to show the interactive potential of SL. In a theme sense, we now want to expand the theme to: “Imagination is your ticket to teaching with SL.” In the scenario sense, we want the educators to see themselves in the role of Professor Type. We also want to establish that educators do not have to build everything they need. Some things are already available.

Opening Scene: Identical view of Europa as in close of 1.1, except no avatars are visible. Avatars representing the class appear in quick succession. Dialog notes absence of Professor Type and establishes that he went to get Earth.

Professor Type appears. Dialog establishes that Aimee Weber is getting Earth and will be along in a moment. (Aimee has agreed to this starring role.)

Camera: Pull back to long shot of Europa and avitars. Earth appears, large in the foreground. Aimee’s hand appears below Earth, as if supporting it, but not touching it. The rest of Aimee follows. Temporarily, Aimee looks huge compare to Europa. (This is false perspective. It should work easily since we have no ground or sight lines to deal with.)

Camera: Hold long shot as Aimee flies to the group and guides Earth to its final destination near Europa (position graphics ok here). Dialog establishes that Aimee has provided the planets (built to scale) and some help to Professor Type. Professor Type is not a Geek and has only recently learned how to place planets. As Earth takes up a proper comparison position, Professor Type provides some comparison data and suggests that we fly by to get a view of earthrise over Europa.

Camera: Follows the group to share the view of earthrise. Dialog indicates that we have to get back. Professor Type comments that students can come back at their convenience for a more thorough look at this VR. Professor Type explains and demonstrates getting a note card from Europa. Card and dialog establish that Professor Type wrote the card specifically for this class.

Camera follows as we fly out of the display and find ourselves on Learn Island. (Opening scene in 1.1 needs a fly in that includes a view of this display.) We look back and see Aimee Weber’s display, modified to show the scene we just left. (The outer covering is phantom, transparent on the outside, textured with night sky on the inside. There may be dialog to point to the surprise.) Aimee may stay in the display and start moving planets around. (If there is time, we may insert brief visits to other spots on Learn Island or elsewhere in SL. )

Closing scene: Avitars return to classroom. We see the class as we left it, avitars seated in the class. Dialog establishes that classroom is made by Iron Perth and freely available for copy. Depending on a proposal submitted to various agencies, Professor Type hopes to establish Astronomy Island and set up a copy of the classroom.

Close: We see the opening to 1.1 in reverse: multicolored spots fly back in and spell out IMAGINATION. The camera lingers on “IMAGINATION IS YOUR TICKET.”

**End** Roll credits. Point to next action for Educator-Viewer. How to get free access, how to find Learn Island or other education points of interest.

It could be worth us all getting together to talk about this:

SL University

Collaboration on something like this definately sounds worthwhile