What can we learn from the World of Warcraft and Second Life

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What can we learn from the World of Warcraft and
Second Life?

• Cynthia Calongne
• Colorado Technical University

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World of Warcraft

• Over 6.5 million players
• Over 4231 custom interfaces (by players)
• www.curse-gaming.com
• Play styles PvE, RP, PvP, RPvP
• Fantasy game setting Horde vs. Alliance
• Immersive virtual world -- engaging and addictive

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WoW Machinima

• Amish Paradise -- Weird Al Yankovic
• Billy McClure
• Parody that follows the adventures of a young
  night elf male in Elwynn Forest
• Winner of the Xfire World of Warcraft Machinima
  Contest (2006)
• 1st Place Best Dance
• 2nd Place Best Editing
• 2nd Place Best Original Music

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What Makes WoW Engaging

• Reward system -- loot, money, experience
• Engaging graphics, sound, animations, races
• Quests -- supports a variety of play styles
• Reputation rank--faction and battlegrounds
• Customizable interfaces -- user control
• Interaction -- forums, player sites, chats
• Compelling social spaces--groups and guilds
• Skill development

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What is Second Life?
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Activities

• Creativity
• Build, model, texture, associate and use
• Interaction
• Social skill, collaboration and cooperative play
• Game
• Logic/Puzzle, Mystery, Roleplaying (RPG), PvP
• Need more Player vs Environment games
• Skills
• Music, art, fantasy, technology, applied skills

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Campus Design
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Virtual Campus in SL
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Design
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Research -- Shared
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Thomson NETg
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Virtual Classrooms
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Presentation Forums
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Dynamic Environment
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Legitimacy in the Academy
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Blended Reality Symposiums
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Amazon.com in SL Briefing
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Amazon.com SL
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Navigating the NMC
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Educational Events
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Teaching in Second Life
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Applied Learning
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Immersive Design
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Modeling the Problem
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Structural Designs -- Floating
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Evolutionary Design
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Scripting Ramapos Robots
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Diverse Virtual Spaces
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NMC Teachers Buzz Meetings
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NMC Campus Designers Electric Sheep Company
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Virtual Learning Spaces

• Second Life provides an opportunity for
• Collaboration and Community
• Research
• Use of Virtual Learning Spaces
• Classes in World --
• Activity-based learning
• Authentic assessment
• Game-based culture
• Easy interaction and navigation

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Learning Activities

• Conceptual
• Skill development
• Knowledge acquisition
• Leadership
• Strategy
• Tactics
• Team building
• Economics

• Activities
• Building/creativity
• Quests/discovery
• Guide/mentor
• Solve problems
• Accomplish goals
• Collaboration
• Financial success

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Conclusion

• Next Steps
• Create activities that map to learning outcomes
• Reusable learning objects -- games, activities,
  etc.
• Design game-based worlds that provide immersive
  learning experiences
• Quests focus on discovery
• Reward systems
• Remains engaging, unlike many educational games
• Leverage virtual world capabilities to create and
  use temp-on-rez learning spaces

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For More Information
Contact Cynthia Calongne at calongne_at_pcisys.net