Society and Information Technology in Second Life

Wednesdays, January 9 - July 30, 2008, 4-6, SLT/PT, 7-9 pm ET

on Berkman island in Second Life - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Berkman/114/70/25

Course homepage - socinfotech.pbwiki.com

 

Instructor: Scott MacLeod (not on Harvard's faculty) = Aphilo Aarde (in Second Life)

http://scottmacleod.com/papers.htm

 

 

 

July 9 2008 Soc and Info Tech class transcript

 

 

 

 

 

[16:00]  Boston Hutchinson: Hi Aphilo

[16:00]  You: Hi Boston

[16:00]  You: Look at the dinosaurs behind you.

[16:00]  You: Greetings

[16:01]  You: How are you?

[16:01]  Claryssa Schmidt is Online

[16:01]  Boston Hutchinson: Fine thanks, and you?

[16:01]  You: It would be interesting to model a variety of geological time periods in SL, as well as the contemporary universe

[16:02]  You: So much is possible with virtual worlds.

[16:02]  You: Pretty well, thanks.

[16:02]  Boston Hutchinson: On my first or second visit to SL I was chased by a dinosaur

[16:03]  Boston Hutchinson: It asked if it could animate my avatar, to which I said no.

[16:03]  You: I see . . . yes, that can happen . . . SL can be an interesting projection of a peaceful future, as well.

[16:03]  Boston Hutchinson: Are you in CA?

[16:04]  Dawoc Gustafson: I'm so sorry!

[16:04]  Boston Hutchinson: Hi Claryssa

[16:04]  You: Hi Claryssa, Dawoc

[16:04]  Claryssa Schmidt: hi

[16:04]  You: Welcome to Society and Information Technology

[16:04]  Dawoc Gustafson: I didn't mean to hit you with the wheelchair

[16:04]  You: http://socinfotech.pbwiki.com

[16:04]  You: where we'll continue to look at a global, virtual world University

[16:04]  You: np

[16:05]  You: http://globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:05]  You: I'd like to start this evening with possible courses that already exist,

[16:05]  You: as well as what teaching in a virtual world might add to learning.

[16:06]  Dnate Mars is Online

[16:06]  You: And then later discuss what might be possible with the existing globaluniverisity wiki

[16:06]  You: http://globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:07]  You: Besides MIT OCW, Yale, Univ of Washington, iTunes, Harvard's courses from 2006 and 2007. and Open Univ. UK

[16:07]  You: what other course work do you know of, that is already free and available?

[16:07]  You decline Cecilia's at Muse Isle (59, 162, 28) from A group member named JenzZa Misfit.

[16:08]  You: iTunes lists a fair number of university's courses

[16:08]  Boston Hutchinson: That's all I know of. I'd guess that anybody wanting to add a course would add it to iTunes

[16:09]  You: Claryssa?

[16:10]  Rhiannon Chatnoir is Online

[16:10]  You: I suspect that there are a lot of courses in cyberspace, that are open source, and simply need to be aggregated to engage teh globalvoicesonline.org model - kind of a wikipedia model.

[16:11]  You: where producers of courses are shaping online content, at all levels, but which hasn't been collected in any location.

[16:11]  You decline Cecilia's at Muse Isle (59, 162, 28) from A group member named JenzZa Misfit.

[16:11]  You: And the impetus that led to listing courses in iTunes, might also

[16:11]  You: lead to the development of further courses

[16:12]  You: It's important I think to begin to examine what leads to, for example,

[16:13]  You: MIT OCW, and would be fruitful to develop this societal trajectory in the direction of degree-granting

[16:13]  You: especially vis-a-vis Harvard, potentially - in this envisioning process.

[16:13]  You: Hello Ross

[16:13]  Ross Mounier: hi

[16:13]  Boston Hutchinson: iTunes does a great job of indexing existing course multimedia, but why not do an index of ongoing class meetings, courses currently running, particularly in virtual worlds?

[16:14]  You: Yes, opening up the wiki to that, and networking with people in SL, and otehr virtual worlds, who are doing this, also makes sense.

[16:14]  You: A site specifically for this is part of what I'd like globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:15]  You: And to engage a kind of editor process, vis-a-vis globalvoicesonline.com might make sense.

[16:15]  Michele Mrigesh is Offline

[16:16]  You: I wonder how to create an open university, engaging the wikipedia model, which uses moderators, but also how to engage standards for posting, for which an 'editor

[16:16]  You: 'editor' might be appropriate.

[16:17]  You: Ross, we're examining and envisioning a global university

[16:17]  You: based on a wikipedia model, that would also potentially grant degrees, and be free and open

[16:17]  You: in this course

[16:17]  You: http://socinfotech.pbwiki.com

[16:18]  Aidan Aquacade is Online

[16:18]  You: The wiki for the University, which began, in a sense, about 2 weeks ago

[16:18]  You: is here - http://globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:19]  Veeyawn Spoonhammer is Offline

[16:19]  You: As this develops, if people add a large number of language, in which courses can be taken, the knowledge of editors for languages, will be invaluable.

[16:19]  You: I know a Cal Berkeley student who studies African languages

[16:19]  JenzZa Misfit is Online

[16:20]  Boston Hutchinson: Looking at what exists and what's missing, it seems to me that there's a need for an index or bulletin board for teachers to post an interest in teachin a subject, students to post an interest in studying a subject, and others to post an interest in an unmoderated (no teacher) discussion group on a subject.

[16:20]  You: and whose knowledge would be very helpful in organizing, and making clear to various language groups the form of courses.

[16:21]  Boston Hutchinson: All this could be focus on virtual worlds, since that's where the opportunity is.

[16:21]  You: Yes, Boston, a kind of blog, which you mentioned last time, I think.

[16:21]  Aidan Aquacade is Offline

[16:21]  You: Would you suggest, Boston, then

[16:21]  You: a wiki within a blog?

[16:22]  You: I think a wiki would be more accessible, as individuals will need to get 1 gigabyte of ram to take a course in SL, and this will take time, for some.

[16:22]  Boston Hutchinson: I don't know the format, but a list of subjects would seem to be more a wiki format than a blog, but not really perfectly suited for either.

[16:23]  You: Yes . . . I agree - and a wiki seems useful, because it would allow multiple group contributions, and social process of course generation, that would include such observations.

[16:23]  You: ... as a discussion forum.

[16:24]  You: What's unique about this global university, based on a wikipedia model, I think, and what already exists in globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:25]  You: is that it's infinitely extensible, and anticipatory of all kinds of possible courses and IT developments.

[16:25]  You: ... because it's extensible

[16:26]  You: Organizing and structuring it are very doable with the wiki format, and in very far-reaching ways -

[16:26]  You: possibly as many as 3000 languages, although starting with wikipedia's languages makes sense

[16:26]  Boston Hutchinson: Are you thinking of the wiki as an actual classroom? So that students without enough computing resources can participate through a discussion on a wiki?

[16:26]  You: and with possibly as many as many as 200 nation states.

[16:26]  Krysss Galatea is Online

[16:27]  Boston Hutchinson: I'd like to point out that Google Lively was just launched, and seems to be a browser-based virtual world program. It probably will run with minimal resources.

[16:28]  You: Partly, Boston - starting with MIT's OCW - learning will take place for the learner through browsers and partly with virtual worlds, but also - and see the Harvard courses in the global university wiki

[16:28]  You: with students in a course collaborating to create course wikis, so students give shape to the courses.

[16:29]  You: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ptc/Main_Page

[16:30]  You: Both Charlie Nesson and Rob Faris, in their virtual courses, used wikis successfully to shape a class -

[16:30]  You: the interaction occurring, however, in SL

[16:30]  Ross Mounier is Online

[16:31]  You: I think the wiki as directory, and wiki as course organizer

[16:31]  You: are invaluable tools

[16:32]  Ross Mounier is Offline

[16:32]  You: (Another way for learners to engage and learn would be through virtual game adaptations - like "immune Attack"

[16:32]  You: which teaches how the immune system works at teh college level.

[16:33]  Boston Hutchinson: It seems to me that the location of the course (SL, blog or wiki only, Lively, Croquet, or even Lambda Moo) should be up to the participants.

[16:33]  You: Yes, Boston, and perhaps a class of students and faculty could pick and choose collaboratively toward this end

[16:34]  You: and student projects at all times, might engage new technologies, and show through use, why they add to the teaching and learning experience.

[16:34]  Harper Beresford is Offline

[16:35]  You: So much is changing and people taking courses are often actively exploring and finding new technologies

[16:35]  Krysss Galatea is Offline

[16:35]  Arawn Spitteler is Offline

[16:35]  You: that they then innovate with . . .

[16:36]  You: In terms of the wiki as directory that already exists, with links to MIT OCW, et al

[16:37]  You: and your suggestions, it only seems to me that we can extend it.

[16:37]  You: I wonder how to keep course quality high, how to show people who want to add a course - what a useful form is, and why - how to teach faculty and students how to use these technologies

[16:38]  You: and how to set up a series of rules, so that adding courses is fairly automatic

[16:39]  You: Telling faculty friends that if they record their lectures this fall, they can post their syllabi and lectures here, might not be edifying.

[16:39]  Boston Hutchinson: It seems to me that it needs to start with expressions of interest--somebody posts a topic and others "sign up" or suggest alternate or related topics.

[16:40]  You: And were Harvard's schools to begin to welcome, in an limted way, the possibility that matriculated Harvard students at the undergradauate and graduate levels, might take a few virtual world courses when living away from Cambridge

[16:40]  Boston Hutchinson: There are lots of places to post lectures, so we wouldn't necessarily be adding much value by doing that, but maybe there are not places that index everything.

[16:40]  You: without a loss in standards, would Harvard's schools be willing to allow cameras

[16:41]  You: in the classroom for videoing lectures and streaming into SL for credit, and eventually degrees?

[16:41]  Boston Hutchinson: If people can express an interest in a topic, it might be very natural for them to add links to the relevant resources posted (and hosted) elsewhere.

[16:41]  You: I agree, Boston - but also MIT OCW began with the interest of a vision, that then led to interested learners finding this material.

[16:42]  Boston Hutchinson: I'm trying to focus on how to add value without spending money.

[16:42]  You: I think a wikipedia of courses would be very useful, informative, and beneficial to the world

[16:42]  You: so one site might be helpful.

[16:43]  Boston Hutchinson: So how to motivte people to post?

[16:43]  You: Yes, Boston

[16:43]  You: Good question . . .

[16:44]  Boston Hutchinson: Let them focus on what interests them, that is, post on the subjects they want to study or teach.

[16:44]  You: Follow the wikipedia model, but first create a wiki format and set of guidelines that then lead to 'editors' or moderators who then engage people who post?

[16:45]  You: OPen the wiki completely - this is Wikipedia's approach...

[16:45]  Boston Hutchinson: If an individual can create a collection of links and notes on a subject and attract the interest of others until they have enough people for a class, then the wiki will have provided a valuable resource.

[16:45]  You: People posted on wikipedia out of interest, and in the interest of the commons.

[16:46]  You: People like to share knowledge and converse, and wikipedia offered a familiar format, with a new medium.

[16:46]  Boston Hutchinson: Subjects and individuals would compete for attention. The popular entries would develop into classes (or discussion groups).

[16:47]  You: What about the potential 1000s of people who might want to explore teaching a psychology 101 course, and who all post a course?

[16:47]  Boston Hutchinson: They can compete for students

[16:47]  You: If wikipedia is a precedent, people will post courses

[16:47]  Boston Hutchinson: But we'd be very lucky to have that problem

[16:48]  You: Yes, Boston!

[16:48]  JenzZa Misfit is Offline

[16:48]  You: At first, perhaps, but if this grows, because the IT structure offers something useful, we may become lucky . . .

[16:49]  Ni Skytower: what's going on here

[16:49]  You: So in terms of the 'seeds' of the existing http://globaluniversity.pbwiki.com

[16:49]  You: a class on a global university - you are welcome to participate

[16:49]  JenzZa Misfit is Online

[16:50]  Ni Skytower: oh well actually i am just exploring

[16:50]  You: besides Boston's observation for the utility of conversation about courses

[16:50]  Gareth Otsuka is Offline

[16:50]  Joe Petrel is Online

[16:50]  You: what other aspects would be useful to add to the wiki above?

[16:51]  You: And does the existing wiki structure suffice?

[16:51]  You: Were it to grow, a more sophisticated wiki model, such as wikipedia's or that at Harvard

[16:52]  You: will be useful.

[16:52]  You: But I think the global university wiki above is a pragmatic beginning, that mostly only needs adding to

[16:53]  You: As it extends, new issues will arise, of course.

[16:53]  You: But what might we plan for now, that could be useful 1 or even 10 years out

[16:53]  You: ?

[16:54]  Boston Hutchinson: I think it's pretty hard to envision the future of a technology.

[16:54]  Boston Hutchinson: It might be better to look at what adds value right now.

[16:55]  Arawn Spitteler is Online

[16:55]  Boston Hutchinson: Getting students together is the sine qua non of this process....

[16:55]  You: Yes, Boston. Were Harvard to have interest in such a university, in terms of degree-granting, I wonder how we might add a consortium of Univerisities, for example those that i mentioned last week, that would then offer a combined Ph.D. and a very broad array of faculty and courses.

[16:56]  You: Yes, Boston - so in terms of adding value,

[16:56]  You: what might bring degree granting to students soon, is one question I have?

[16:56]  Dena Dana is Offline

[16:56]  Michele Mrigesh is Online

[16:57]  You: And how might we engage fundraising possibilities for the foundation to extend course content, and perhaps also engage companies like Google and Apple, and other innovators?

[16:57]  Boston Hutchinson: I don't see how anything will happen if degree granting is a requirement

[16:58]  You: True, Boston . . . so course material that is more engaging, and contributes to richer knowledge production, in new ways, AND esepcially for credit seems like one way to increase student engagement

[16:58]  Boston Hutchinson: and I dont't think there's any chance of raising funds until someting exciting and valuable has already happened.

[16:59]  You: As the course material becomes very fun - as I would like it to, especially at the University level - a new complementary direction for

[16:59]  You: Unversities, I think students will come.

[16:59]  You: At the Rainbow Gathering that I just attended in Wyoming,

[17:00]  You: one friend mentioned that people learn in different ways, beyond academically.

[17:00]  You: Some learn through doing

[17:00]  You: and others learn through apprenticing -

[17:00]  You: as two possible other orientations that Global University Wiki could also easily engage.

[17:01]  You: and which would add value

[17:01]  You: Yes, Boston . . . that makes sense . . . although MIT OCW raised funds for its project...

[17:02]  You: so finding interested parties who would then invest, and which would lead to growth, also makes sense . . .

[17:02]  Jayne Urqhart is Online

[17:02]  You: And refining the wiki, thus far, would be a contribution to this

[17:03]  You: So let's take a break until 15 minutes past - I'll post the transcript thus far

[17:03]  You: and come back to other modes of learning, as well as refining the global university wiki, and also how we might contact Harvard, for example . . .

[17:04]  You: See you at 15 minutes past the hour . . . .:)

[17:04]  Boston Hutchinson: OK see you then.

[17:06]  Bjorlyn Loon is Offline

[17:07]  Widget Whiteberry is Offline

[17:09]  Robyn Proto is Online

[17:10]  Robyn Proto is Offline

[17:14]  Daisyblue Hefferman is Online

[17:15]  Chinadoll Lulu is Online

[17:16]  You: Hi All

[17:16]  Boston Hutchinson: Hi

[17:17]  Claryssa Schmidt: hi

[17:17]  You: So I see this global University engaging a Wikipedia model with Harvard as a key player, as having infinite possibilities and already instantiated, and like the Rainbow Gathering

[17:17]  You: potentially richly self-organizing, and very flexible and visionary.

[17:18]  Arawn Spitteler is Offline

[17:18]  You: What would help it grow with some alacrity might be utility to the developing world, on already existing devices, in a way not yet thought of . .

[17:19]  You: And MIT's OLPC project, with its existing 8 countries, might be a sensible direction in which to focus.

[17:20]  Widget Whiteberry is Online

[17:20]  Boston Hutchinson: http://www.lively.com/html/landing.html

[17:20]  Diego Ibanez is Online

[17:20]  Boston Hutchinson: runs in browsers

[17:20]  You: To provide useful educational possibilities to Rwanda, for example, might add value quickly, and allow the Global University foundation to engage groups like Microsoft's educational philanthropy

[17:22]  You: Yes, Boston, and if part of the learning process in, say, Rwanda, involved making their own avatar, they might engage learning opportunities in new ways.

[17:22]  Diego Ibanez is Offline

[17:22]  Diego Ibanez is Online

[17:23]  You: But the openness of such a process will in itself lead to innovations

[17:23]  You: as analyses of the global university wiki yield new possibilities, for example.

[17:24]  Boston Hutchinson: There are a lot of professors who have spent time in places like Rwanda. THey might be happy to have a resource that allowed them to reconnect with their students there.

[17:24]  You: But other exploring modes of learning in this global university

[17:25]  You: beyond the academic, might also create opportunities for learning in Rwanda, for example

[17:25]  You: Yes, Boston!

[17:25]  Ni Skytower: have you seen a teddy bear that looks just like me?

[17:25]  Ni Skytower: except with wings

[17:25]  You: And Nicholas Negroponte's village in Cambodia is is another similar example

[17:25]  You: (I'll let you know if I do Ni)

[17:26]  Ni Skytower: k thanks

[17:26]  You: So, how to engage such faculty to interest themselves in this wiki is an interesting question

[17:27]  You: Of course they could contribute, but could they also become 'editors' as well.

[17:27]  Boston Hutchinson: Well, there's an existing model that is very popular in RL: continuing education, usually without credit and in local communities.

[17:28]  Boston Hutchinson: Extending that into virtual worlds might be one way to get the "critical mass" to make something happen.

[17:28]  You: I suspect they might do so, for similar reasons as in wikipedia.

[17:28]  Diego Ibanez is Offline

[17:29]  You: Yes . . and these processes are very germane to

[17:29]  You: this wiki, - all could add . . . (and create a remarkable and growing archive of courses through time - 1000s or years?)

[17:30]  You: Yes - wikipedia, globalvoicesonline.org and craigslist are all interesting relevant examples for critical mass

[17:30]  Boston Hutchinson: There are many willing community ed teachers, and the popular subject matter have been well established.

[17:31]  You: having been achieved - so, it happens - but how can it be transformative over decades and longer, for those that engage it?

[17:32]  You: Yes . . . and in addition to this, how might they benefit in unexpected ways, from what IT offers?

[17:32]  You: (community teachers?)

[17:32]  You: And how might community education be transformed, through this?

[17:33]  You: Hello Wouttonio

[17:34]  Boston Hutchinson: Well, the social function of community ed in a VW would be different, since students would meet others only on-line.

[17:34]  You: Community education is an example of other than academic learning, that might be very engaging to a variety of people that have little interest in academic courses

[17:34]  You: Yes

[17:35]  You: So, how can we refine this global wiki, as it now stands, besides adding what seems obvious - exisiting courses, already on the web, adding languages, countries, and subject areas

[17:36]  You: and designing databases that woul interlink these together effectively?

[17:37]  You: Are contacting Universities in many parts of the world, a sensible way to generate new courses that are open source, but that also might contribute to degree programs at the Ph.D. level, for one.

[17:37]  You: ?

[17:38]  You: By the way - here's the transcript from earlier - http://socinfotech.pbwiki.com/July-9-2008-Soc-and-Info-Tech-class-transcript

[17:38]  Michele Mrigesh is Offline

[17:38]  You: At the present, I'm more interested in letting this grow organically, and seeing what emerges from mulitiple conversations, not just here on Berkman.

[17:39]  You: IN terms of contacting Harvard, I think it would be useful to get institutional support at the highest level - President Faust, for example.

[17:40]  You: And that were she to see the possibilities, innovations, and contributions to Harvard that this would make, she might well facilitate engagement with the schools.

[17:40]  Boston Hutchinson: My experience in business is that any idea you can think of will happen--somebody will do it--but not necessarly in exactly the way that you envisioned, and it may be done many times, with only one or two of those attempts succeeding.

[17:41]  You: And for such support, Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society would also be invaluable.

[17:42]  You: Yes, Boston, but planning can have great benefits, as can informtation technology in benefiting people.

[17:42]  Harper Beresford is Online

[17:42]  You: Take Vanguard Mutual Funds, and Wikipedia, as two example.

[17:43]  You: Vanguard started with an indexing modeling, very well thought out, and was able to change their business model dramatically

[17:45]  You: to

[17:46]  Curious George is Online

[17:46]  You: to accmodate developments in information technology

[17:47]  You: They completely reorganized their business around the world wide web - completely - while retaining their indexing focus

[17:47]  Curious George is Offline

[17:47]  You: Wikipedia, on the other hand, developed organically

[17:48]  You: and continues to have numerous contributors, and to grow

[17:48]  Gentle Heron is Online

[17:49]  You: So, yes, Boston, it's difficult to plan, and plans change, but the envisioning process, vis-a-vis Vanguard, can be invaluable, and have very far-reaching effects.

[17:50]  You: So, setting specific goals, based on reasoned approaches has merit.

[17:50]  You: What goals might we envision for

[17:51]  You: this global university?

[17:52]  You: To offer useful knowledge in the form of certificates for specific countries in the developing world, exclusively using information technology?

[17:53]  You: And articulate such goals with envisioning some for Harvard vis-a-vis a global University?

[17:54]  Dnate Mars is Offline

[17:54]  You: Let's continue to pursue this next week.

[17:54]  Boston Hutchinson: Maybe people in the developing world need practical knowledge about agricultural techniques used by others in their own countries, but not in their village, for example.

[17:55]  You: In the meantime, let's please add to the wiki . . .

[17:55]  Dnate Mars is Online

[17:55]  Boston Hutchinson: Why do they need degrees?

[17:55]  You: This is a question I'd like to find the answers to, and may well relate to other modes of learning, such as

[17:56]  Boston Hutchinson: How many people in developing countries contribute to wikipedia?

[17:56]  You: learning by doing, that global university might also engage . . .

[17:56]  You: I'll look into this for next week, too.

[17:56]  Boston Hutchinson: They would need access to the wiki to get to the next step.

[17:57]  You: Yes . . .access to the Internet via cell phone or olpc would be great.

[17:57]  You: ... and a key avenue for cultivating this global, virtual world University.

[17:58]  You: So, thank you for coming! And see you next week . . .

[17:58]  Rhiannon Chatnoir is Offline

[17:58]  Boston Hutchinson: Thanks, Aphilo!

[17:59]  Claryssa Schmidt is Offline

[17:59]  You: You're welcome - I'm looking forward to pursuing this conversation, as we make changes to the wiki.

[17:59]  Boston Hutchinson: Very interesting.

[18:00]  You: These are interesting questions . . . I think laying out possibilities will help this university emerge.

[18:00]  Boston Hutchinson: I'd really like to see a focus on something that could grow organically. I don't think there's much chance of getting funding or backing from a major institution until after that happens

[18:01]  JenzZa Misfit is Offline

[18:01]  You: Makes sense - I'll contact C at Berkman Center for his thoughts about this, too. :)

 [18:02]  Andromeda Mesmer is Online

[18:03]  You: I need to go because I'm in a public location, but let's talk further soon on the phone perhaps

[18:03]  Boston Hutchinson: I think the key is to identify a need that can be met, a market that can be served without funding or institutional support, and then grow into something that the institutions will want to support.

[18:04]  Boston Hutchinson: OK. Talk to you later.

[18:04]  You: Logical . . .

[18:04]  You: Great!

[18:04]  Boston Hutchinson: Bye

[18:04]  You: Bye

[18:04]  Boston Hutchinson is Offline