Preparing to Teach Field Research in Second Life

1. Preparing to Teach Field Research in Second Life Edward Lee Lamoureux/Professor Beliveau NMC Regional Meeting San Antonio,TX November 8, 2006

2. Course Goals

3. Teach our students about virtual worlds/immersive environments. Most of our students want to learn to author 3D, immersive media. Doing meaningful things in SL (like holding class, making presentations, observing other, etc.) will help them further understand the products they want to someday make. Teach students to better understand how new media impacts society by learning a valuable and oft-use strategy/method for doing research (ethnographic field methods) that they may later use (in more detail) to study how new media is used. • Learn about virtual worlds for distance education

4. My Goals and Motivations

5. I’m the theory guy in our program, have been opposed to teaching games directly as I’m uninterested in shooting, killing, and fantasy. But SL presents us with a wonderful opportunity to learn and teach about virtual environments for living and learning. Helps keep me engaged and relevant to our students. In my previous life I was a field researcher/conversation analyst. This course gives me the opportunity to teach ethnographic methods to neophyte researchers in an environment that is safer for both students and subjects than is RL. • And not to be ignored, SL offers a distance education platform unmatched by other modalities, thereby giving me a chance to teach and earn additional income over an otherwise “dark” period at Bradley. We offer courses in the January interim, but few students want to come to Peoria in order to take them.

6. About the Course

7. Field Research: Strategies for a Natural Sociology Leonard Schatzman, Anselm L. Strauss Virtual Methods Christine Hine (Editor) Second Life: The Official Guide Michael Rymaszewski Entering Casing, approaching, relationships, presenting the self & the study, reciprocal negotiations. HSP/ethical practices/protocols. Getting organized Mapping/tours (places, people/functions, action zones) Establishing a sampling strategy (location, time, aspect/event, and amount) Data Collection Watching/listening as passive presence or with limited interaction Interviewing an informant Data recording, data coding and data security (subject protection and physical security) Data Analysis Developing theoretical leads from the data Taxonomies and categorization Constant comparisons Drawing inferences from data. Writing up results

8. Interesting Challenges So Far Protection of Human Subjects “Doomsday” Planning

9. In an unexpected role reversal, we are faced with more procedural challenges over human subjects protection in SL than we would face in RL. The research I’ll teach my students to do would normally get an “exemption from review” if undertaken in RL, due to it’s nature as pure observation and interview. However, in SL proposals have to first be submitted to Linden Labs for their approval. Then… Our university’s human subjects committee has determined that they want individual proposals from each student prior to approval. I was hoping for a blanket “OK” on a generic, class-based form that I’d submit instead. The committee takes seriously the fact that most SL residents wear name tags over their heads as evidence that even observational research can’t be done---the subjects in SL aren’t anonymous in that environment, so we have moved to produce strong protections for them. Protection of Human Subjects

10. Follow Linden Lab procedures for planning and notification. Linden Labs will announce the research and identify the research class and members to the community. Create “Researcher” group identification for all student avatars However, the “casing” portion of “entering” will be done without this designation, before any data collection takes place. Once data collection and class begin, the designation will be displayed prominently. Bradley HSP committee requires that student’s research proposals for approval. Expedited review promised. Create a HSP handout carried by every student as a notecard offered to any avatar who inquires as to the research work/researcher’s presence or on whom data is collected. Maintain subject confidentiality in data management (coded names, etc). Forbid students from copying and saving transcripts of talk from subjects from whom they have not gotten permission (and who haven’t been given an HSP handout) Forbid students from using camera controls to see through objects and into spaces where they are not co-present with the subjects. Publish the URL for the student course blogs on the Linden Labs blog site. Review the student blogs regularly to catch any “beginners’” mistakes that might compromise subject protections. Block out avatar names and faces in cases of publishing photos of subjects without their permission. Copy of final papers posted to the student blogs. Protection of Human Subject Procedures

11. Almost every observed avatar can be identified by avatar name. Only some can be cross-identified by RL name. Those who list RL names can be identified by anyone in the game via a search mechanism. Our permissions will have a check off for just using the SL name and image without coding . . . some/many don’t care. Virtually every text chat generates a transcript for anyone within 200 meters. Camera controls allow/enable seeing through some otherwise seeming to be “solid” surfaces. We can’t “post a notice” in all regions (though we might be able to post one in some… depends). If pressed, we might be able to get each land owner to allow us to post. Our permissions will have a check off for images as well. We can block out the names and faces. More Protection of Human Subject Issues • Haven’t yet heard back from Linden Labs about our plans

12. With the growth of SL has come DOS attacks and the chance of a sudden sale and closure. What happens to students if the class is cancelled midway due to loss of SL? BU doesn’t have a clear policy for closure of the university mid-term. We had a week of tense negotiations, leading to a solution: 3, 1-credit enrollments that get us money and grades in a step-wise fashion. Can’t be used by the students, only by the program and only for doomsday. DoomsdayWhat happens if the University closes?In this case, if SL goes down?

13. Preparing Students, or“I LOVE THIS COUNTRY”

14. My Students are, generally, Multimedia degree majors; some gamers; almost all want to make games or do animation; they have equipment, network, & know how. By application only, specially chosen. Up to 8 for research; 1 machinima maker as historian. We have a little room so we’ve invited one student from Trinity, Ball St. and UNR. Application requirements: Meet or exceed system requirements and broadband. Create account and Avi prior to 2 hours F-2-F Dec. 2 meeting in our labs and SL. Orientation Island & Help Island & join NMC and class group before December 2. Identify group of interest before January 2. Complete research application/proposal before January 5. I have a kind of “perfect storm”

15. Build it and they will come(and they’ll bring their notepads)

16. http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/slstuff.htmlhttp://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/slstuff.html -Talking with the Professor (audio interview)-Preparing for the class, part one-Preparing for the class, part two -Background and class poster (word.doc)-"Right Click to Learn," Boston Phoenix, 8-17-06-HOI-19 interview article, 8-19-06: "Virtual Classroom to Start at Bradley"-BU gets a virtual “second life” (BU Scout, 9-8-6-"A Whole New World," PJS, 10-17-06-PJS photos-BU spotlight

17. http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wikihttp://www.nmc.org/sl/http://planet.worldofsl.com/http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/vvvv/http://www.simteach.com/blog/http://rpfolio.com/cblog/http://www.simteach.com/SLCC06/slcc2006-proceedings.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNP6IJwY90http://secondlife.com/newsletter/2006_10/#sevenhttp://www.blip.tv/file/74378/http://cterport.ed.uiuc.edu/technologies_folder/index.html#slhttp://www.cxknowledge.com./Intro_SL.htmlhttp://gwynethllewelyn.net/article27visual1layout1.htmlhttp://signpostmarvmartin.wordpress.com/2006/09/17/intellagirl-tully-presentation-on-avatars-and-identity-in-sl/http://secondlifelibrary.blogspot.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=synxFmQJ_0Ahttp://www2.kumc.edu/netlearning/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.Htmhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cyberone/http://www.lovelymachine.com/Dolmere/http://secondlife.com/showcase/http://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/worlds/students.htmlhttp://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/games/students.htmlhttp://www.secondlifeherald.com/http://www.stanford.edu/class/casa155/http://www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/aboutJOVE.htmlhttp://www.cybersociology.com/http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ethnobase/http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Grad_Student_Colony#Second_Meeting:_May_31.2C_2006.2C_Research_Ethicshttp://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Top_20_Educational_Locations_in_Second_Lifehttp://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/http://www.alphavilleherald.com/http://www.infoisland.org/http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wikihttp://www.nmc.org/sl/http://planet.worldofsl.com/http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/vvvv/http://www.simteach.com/blog/http://rpfolio.com/cblog/http://www.simteach.com/SLCC06/slcc2006-proceedings.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNP6IJwY90http://secondlife.com/newsletter/2006_10/#sevenhttp://www.blip.tv/file/74378/http://cterport.ed.uiuc.edu/technologies_folder/index.html#slhttp://www.cxknowledge.com./Intro_SL.htmlhttp://gwynethllewelyn.net/article27visual1layout1.htmlhttp://signpostmarvmartin.wordpress.com/2006/09/17/intellagirl-tully-presentation-on-avatars-and-identity-in-sl/http://secondlifelibrary.blogspot.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=synxFmQJ_0Ahttp://www2.kumc.edu/netlearning/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.Htmhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/cyberone/http://www.lovelymachine.com/Dolmere/http://secondlife.com/showcase/http://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/worlds/students.htmlhttp://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/games/students.htmlhttp://www.secondlifeherald.com/http://www.stanford.edu/class/casa155/http://www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/aboutJOVE.htmlhttp://www.cybersociology.com/http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ethnobase/http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Grad_Student_Colony#Second_Meeting:_May_31.2C_2006.2C_Research_Ethicshttp://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Top_20_Educational_Locations_in_Second_Lifehttp://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/http://www.alphavilleherald.com/http://www.infoisland.org/ SL sites that help me keep up and and better understand

18. A site for learning some important SL activitiescompliments of Univ. of IL.Curriculum, Technology & Education Reform Program (CTER) (QuickTime Player required)･How to build a chair in Second Life･How to create an interactive sign in Second Life How to embed an image (texture) onto an object in Second Life How to embed a notecard onto an object in Second Life How to link an object to a webpage in Second Life How to create links within a notecard in Second Life How to create a dropbox in Second Life How to create a teleport link in Second Life

19. Here we come again; catch us if you can. Hope to see you inworld soon. blacktail ridge retreat