Tuesday, January 29, 2008

B!G on Respect - Sandbox Rules



The B!G on Respect campaign continues in our Sandbox. Running a sandbox, or public building space, in Second Life may seem like a daunting task. Users must respect each other's space and abide by the rules. One of the things that makes our sandbox a great place to socialize and work is the level of respect each user gives one another. Our new slogan, "B!G on Respect," will stay posted in the sandbox to promote a high level of courtesy towards our fellow Second Life resident.

Friday, January 18, 2008

B!G on Respect


BGSU Second Life Island: B!G on Respect

Human Relations Commission, Bowling Green State University, 10 January 2008

To promote an atmosphere of respect, tolerance, and civility in Second Life, the BGSU Human Relations B!G on Respect logo will be displayed throughout the island, specifically in the sandbox. Free buttons and T-shirts featuring the logo will also be available in Second Life.

This BGSU Second Life initiative represents part of the BGSU Human Relations Big on Respect Campaign, beginning this month in both SL and RL.

Contact Barb Toth, HRC Chair, at btoth@bgnet.bgsu.edu for more information.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

First SLLC meeting of 2008



The Ohio Learning Network Second Life Learning Community in Northwest Ohio (whew!) met for the first time this year and discussed recent projects in Second Life. Radhika Gajjala is working with two graduate students on the a bi-lingual educational exchange project (English and Japanese).



Cassandra Jones is teaching "Women in Sci-Fi," an American Culture Studies class. She is using Second Life to explore fandom and the many ways in which people express their interest or participate in fandom. Cassandra lead the group on a field trip to the Star Trek Museum of Culture in Second Life. We were also joined by Montana Miller, Richard Anderson from Psychology and Chris Wammes from ITS.



A portion of the discussion was focused on creating a survey for students using Second Life. What sort of initial reactions, experiences, or change in online practice did Second Life facilitate? Perhaps these responses change over time as the students become more familiar with the virtual world.



We also dedicated a short amount of time looking at:
  • A "chat logger" which records local chat even when your avatar is not there
  • The new planetarium on BGSU island (SLURL) and
  • The ongoing construction of the Writing Center on the BGSU virtual campus (SLURL).