Harvard class invades Second Life

by Kyle Orland { Sep 12th 2006 at 10:15AM }

A new Harvard class entitled CyberOne: Law in the Court of Public Opinion will be jointly held in the real Harvard Law School and in the virtual world of Second Life. The course, which starts this week, deals with making persuasive arguments in virtual spaces such as web sites, wikis, and, of course, virtual online universes. While registration for the course is currently full, the virtual classroom and lecture materials will be available to Second Life users at-large during non-class hours.

While this isn't the first time a college course has been held in-game, this offering from a school as prestigious as Harvard shows that this trend may be growing. Would you attend a class in a virtual world?

[Thanks nsomneia]

Tags: academia, class, second life, SecondLife

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jecrell @ Sep 12th 2006 10:24AM

I would attend if it was done in any other MMORPG other than Second Life.

What ever happened to World of Warcraft?

LaughingTarget @ Sep 12th 2006 10:40AM

Honestly, I wouldn't attend a virtual class. I don't even do the web based classes my university offers. I know I am a huge procrastinator and if I don't show up to a physical classroom, I'd never do the work and fail.

Individuals really have to understand their learning type. Someone like me, a procrastinator that is a heavy audio/hands-on learner would fall apart in any virtual environment. If I can't actually hear the instructor, I won't do well. Someone who is strong in visual learning and has a good work ethic will excel at it.

While it is tempting for people to pick the virtual version when they really shouldn't, offering virtual classes is perfect. It will allow universities that have overcrowding issues to offer enough class space so students can graduate in the standard 4 year timeframe, instead of having to take very summer semester as well as the two standard semesters for 5 (as was the case at the University I went to) because of overcrowding issues.

Konami @ Sep 12th 2006 11:10AM

I'm so sick of reading about Second Life already. Jesus christ. One can't go a day without some site making a post about it. It doesn't even LOOK appealing.

Morale @ Sep 12th 2006 11:19AM

"The course, which starts this week, deals with making persuasive arguments in virtual spaces such as web sites, wikis, and, of course, virtual online universes."

You know, the best thing about online gaming is the utter nonsense and chaos that comes with it. When online, there is less of a need for a persuasive argument when all you need is a 'omgwtfpwned' and everybody lolz.

Seriously, the internet is the last bastion, the final sanctuary where you can act like a complete jackass and there aren't any repercussions because:

a) what other people say doesn't matter
b) you probably won't ever see them again

Sticks and stones, really. And even if you do get into a tiff with someone and you end up in the same game of DotA or CounterStrike, most times you can just laugh it off or make reparations easily. That's what it's all about, kicking back and not worrying what other people think. You have to worry about that enough in the real world where real etiquette and protocol comes into play.

This mode of thinking seems to be falling by the wayside. With every touchy-feely MMO that comes out where the end content and goal requires everyone to brown-nose everyone else...what happened to goofing off and having fun?

I have enough of a life to live in the real world where I don't want to have to re-enact it in a virtual one.

Kaemon @ Sep 12th 2006 12:08PM

... wow... I mean... wow....

What a bunch of losers... I mean, its a game... sheesh.

Psaakyrn @ Sep 12th 2006 1:07PM

to #5 Kaemon

Technically SL is not a game, considering it has 0 actual objectives. Think of it as a different perception of the Internet. (like chatrooms, blogs, forums, websites, etc)

Zo� K. @ Sep 12th 2006 1:52PM

You know what? If you don't like Second Life, or the posts pertaining to Second Life, then don't read them. Some of us happen to play with the program, and DO want to hear about things like this.

I'm not sure, but it'd be hard to realistically imagine Kyle grabbing one of you, holding your fat, scraggly faces to your computer screen, and FORCING you to read these posts... so just keep on scrollin'.

nightwng2000 @ Sep 12th 2006 2:55PM

A couple of decades ago, what you see on Second Life was pretty much a view of what the online community would become. We'd have virtual avatars wandering around the "online world", going from shop to shop... uh, shopping, "walking" over to the local "virtual college" taking classes, "walking" down to the local virtual tavern and socializing, and so on and so forth. But, of course, with a very few exceptions, there wasn't that type of connectivity in the end.

The internet didn't turn out as expected by a large number of visionaries. It just became a hodgepodge of little connected pages, and even lesser known ramblings, interspersed with porn. People out there are trying to turn Second Life into that old vision, but I think it's a wee bit too late for that. We're seeing some folks put it to clearly non-game/non-entertainment use. Maybe it'll grow. Then again, maybe not. Who knows what's next. Can it reach the non-game/non-entertainment popularity equivilant of the online gaming experience World of Warcraft? Time will tell.

nightwng2000

Kaemon @ Sep 12th 2006 6:05PM

I will read what I want to read, and I read everything that they post here, and if I feel the need to post about it, I will, I can, and so far, joystiq hasnt sent me a e-mail telling me to stop. And so far, no one has come and forced me to read something, but I sure to get alot of people telling me NOT to do stuff/ So dont go tell me I shouldn't post here.

And Yes, it is a game, its a differnt kind of game, but a game none the less.

And the reason I posted is becasue if you are doing classes like that in the said game (no matter how differnt it is from other games) then it just doesnt seem to fit, its a college class, you go to college for that. Sheesh.

Oh, and by the way, I think World of Warcraft is a waste of time as well =p

Moose @ Sep 13th 2006 6:54AM

Second Life 4eva!!!

DDS @ Sep 13th 2006 9:29AM

7: Your "don't read them if you don't like it"
argument is ridiculous. That's akin to saying the Holocaust never happened because you didn't
like it.

Seriously, come up with a better argument, or don't get all pissed off when someone displays a distaste for something
you're, apparently, obsessed with. Additionally, your "fat" insult is unfounded, because you've never seen any of us. Now, if I called you an "ugly transsexual," that's founded, because you have your picture posted in your LiveJournal.

csven @ Sep 13th 2006 10:56AM

"And Yes, it is a game, its a differnt kind of game, but a game none the less."

I'd be curious to hear if you think PLM software using avatars and NPC's is also a game. PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is still pretty hot on Wall Street. For those who don't know of it, it's what corporations are starting to use to manage all aspects of product development; from R&D to distribution to your local Wally World.

One of my favorite examples is PLM software that has a module wherein the manufacturing plant manager uses a 3D "game" to place things inside a new factory like: injection molding machines, incoming assembly components, worker "cells", the finished goods, aso. By laying out the factory (similar to, say, SimCity) and letting NPC's loose (ala The Sims but using something along the lines of “Santos” - the offspring of the Virtual Soldier Research Program), the plant manager can gauge overall factory efficiency. I can tell you from experience at a major manufacturer that 1 second of cycle time on an injection molding machine can equate to $100,000/yr. So shaving off one second can have a huge impact on some companies.

Now, if Second Life or Google Earth (both of which have aspects which are somewhat like a PLM app) is a "game" by your estimation, then is that manager laying out his factory also playing a game? And what about the people who work in the assembly cells? If he's playing a game, than Average Joe BlueCollar is a part of that game too, isn't he? In fact, everything is a game (unless you're out hunting for food and shelter and someone - or something - with which to copulate and reproduce); the rest is largely unnecessary. Working overtime to buy a big screen teevee isn't "work", it's really a game; a game of acquisition which most everyone seems to play.

Perhaps a clearer definition of the word is in order. Personally, when I spend time in Second Life, I'm often doing what I normally do as my real life occupation: building 3D models with the intention of manufacturing them (e.g. http://blog.rebang.com/?p=634 ).