One of the main benefits to collaboration in this world is the fact that an individual can express himself in any way they see fit. They can create their own self identity by creating an avatar in many forms; One that looks like oneself or totally different. They could even be another species. This allows for people who normally act a certain way to branch out without fear of repercussions or social anxiety. For example, shy individuals can speak up and express themselves or businessmen could become daredevils etc. So users can make a conscious decision about how they look and also how they will act in this world. This gives a person a sense of identity as discussed in the article.
With a shared world, people can also share a space, and work together on something as seen in class. Our classmates along with the professor experimented in creating a sofa. This is only one collaborative activity that could be accomplished in the virtual world. People could come together and create/experience many different objects/activities.
To further explain, Professor Mcleod stated that this environment could be very useful for individuals needing to really see something in a 3-D environment. This could be chemistry or biology students needing to work with complex molecules and structures. It could also work for architects working together to form a structure much more complicated than just an ordinary sofa.
Second life’s main drawback seems to come from the technological limitations as well as time limitations. Within the game, as with other virtual worlds, you do not actually know what is going on with other users in real life. For example, if a user doesn’t respond to you that could have many implications. Users possibly could have had another commitment and left their computers. This means they went “afk,” meaning they are temporarily unavailable (Place and Time, 108). But it could also mean the person does not want to interact with you as well.
There are also time differences in that the game is based on Pacific Time yet individuals using the game could be coming from all different time zones and work places making communication and collaboration difficult depending on their needs.
Lastly, the game seems like it has a high learning curve as you need to understand all of the new controls and how the whole premise of a new world works. “Newbies” are new members and are sometimes looked down upon. I think some users just would not have the time to dedicate to learn a whole new world.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I like the idea of using Second Life to really express the visual aspect of collaboration. As happened with Prof. McLeod, the whole idea of creating a visual environment means explanations of complex ideas could be much easier. In fact, how do you explain a couch to someone who doesn't know what a couch is? A bit difficult I would assume, and thus complex molecules are such a cool idea and good starting point! Don't you think though there are better forms for this to collaborate? My first imagination would be something like a shared online model where you can pan and rotate for your own perspective, but also have a linked view for what the other person is talking about to get an understanding of what the person is describing.
ReplyDeleteThis also leads though to a good point about why Second Life is a drawback for collaboration. It in itself is a game! People get on Second Life to play a Second Life so how useful is it to collaborate over, other than the fact that it's a great platform to experience new relationships and collaborate for the sake of collaboration!
I agree that this is a good point about Second Life. I believe that because Second Life is a game it is very difficult for professionals to use it and look 'professional'. If a company is not perceived as professional, it would hurt their reputation and ultimately their business.
ReplyDelete