Week+2

=Week 2: January 18 - 24=
 * Avatars and Identity in Virtual Environments**

In this week's discussion, we'll explore aspects of avatar identity in general and in the virtual classroom. Taking on a digital identity is an increasingly complex matter. There are a number of factors that may influence our decisions about how we represent ourselves online generally, but these issues can be compounded by the addition of a "physical" avatar that goes beyond the traditional online screen name and web profile. Instructors must consider these questions for themselves, and also from the perspective of their learners, when determining how the avatar and identity component in virtual environments might be useful for teaching and learning (i.e. roleplaying, taking on alternate identities such as skin color, ability, gender, etc.) or potentially detrimental (i.e. inability to create representative avatars, distracting, offensive, or lewd decorations). Common issues worth considering include:
 * Privacy concerns
 * Public vs. Private Self (and the question of Alts)
 * Real identity vs. Anonymity
 * Physical self vs Idealized self vs Exploratory Self

Readings
Ducheneaut, N.; Wen, M.; Yee, N.; Wadley, G. Body and mind: a study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. 27th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2009); 2009 April 4-9; Boston, MA. http://fleeep.net/docs/bodyandmind_ducheneaut.pdf

Second Life Tasks – Project 1 (Due 2/1)
Using the materials provided by the instructor, create two avatars - one that represents the “outside” you as you wish the world to see you, and one that represents the “inside” you as you feel you really are (what the world cannot see). Prepare to present your avatars to the class and discuss your avatar creation experience.


 * Avatar presentations in class on 2/1 should demonstrate/address the following:**
 * Learners should be able to easily switch between their “outer” and “inner” avatars, demonstrating a level of skill with the Second Life interface. The “outer” and “inner” avatar creations should also demonstrate that a reasonable amount of time and effort was spent thinking about and constructing the avatar.
 * Learners should be able to discuss why they chose the avatars they picked or created, and how they might use this type of exercise in a classroom or learning environment.

Forum Posts 3
This week’s reading focused on the choices users of three different virtual worlds make when creating their avatars (within the constraints of a given world), and how those choices relate (or don’t) to their physical and emotional selves. Based on the concepts discussed in the reading, and your own experiences with trying to create avatars that represent your “outer” and “inner” you:
 * Did you find your personal experience with avatar creation to be similar to what the researchers’ described?
 * Do you agree or disagree with the article’s conclusion that avatars “might be a better vehicle to explore new forms of physical embodiment rather than for exploring new facets of one’s personality”?
 * How might the findings in this paper be useful in an educational setting?