From VITAL Lab Public Wiki

Second Life Development Service from the VITAL Lab @ Ohio University

The VITAL Lab excels in research and development in Second Life and other 3-D online virtual environments. We provide service in scripting, content creation, full-service sim development, creation of teaching tools and learning aids, coordination of educational and other events and activities, and operational management of sims in Second Life. For more information, contact

Andrew Goodnite, Assistant Director of the VITAL Lab, (SL:Builder Link) at (740)593-1237 or goodnite@ohio.edu; or
Dr. Chang Liu, Director of the VITAL Lab, (SL/MG:Chang Tuxing; SL/TG:Chang Binder; SL/STEAM TG:Chang Meyer) at 740.593.1249.

We have worked on the following projects in Second Life: (More project info can be found here and in the "Projects" page.)

Projects for colleges and universities

The Ohio University Second Life Campus

Sponsors: Ohio University Office of University Outreach, Ohio University Without Boundaries, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, and Ohio University Academic Technology
Target audience: Ohio University students
SL location: The Ohio University and OHIO Outreach sims in the Main Grid.
Synopsis: The Ohio University sims are an educational campus to facilitate engaging teaching and learning activities. (More...)

Software Engineering Process Game

Sponsor: NSF and ACM SIGCSE
Target audience: Computer Science students at Ohio University and University of Mary Washington
Synopsis: This is a team software engineering education game based on the SimSE game from UC Irvine. (More...)

Teaching Aid for the Group Think Game

Sponsor: NSF and ACM SIGCSE
Target audience: Computer Science students at Ohio University and University of Mary Washington
Synopsis: This is an in-class activity tool for the Group Think exercise on software specification, which was developed at MIT. (More...)

Stocker Center Interior Improvement

Sponsor: Merle Graybill
Target audience: Visitors to the Ohio University Second Life Campus
Synopsis: The original Stocker Center in Second Life was designed after the real Stocker Center. But the challenges and advantages of Second Life made it necessary for the building to be redesigned in Second Life. (More...)

Projects for the general public

Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum

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Sponsor: Smithsonian Institution.
Target audience: General public interested in Latino culture.
SL Location: The "Smithsonian Latino Lobby" sim
Synopsis: Virtual Museum on Latino culture inside Second Life. (More...)

Nutrition Game

Sponsor: Ohio Commission on Minority Health and Ohio University Without Boundaries
Target audience: Asians and African Americans in and around Athens, Ohio
SL Location: The Ohio University sim.
Synopsis: The Nutrition Game simulates choices a player can make in various restaurants and informs the player about nutrition facts of these choices. (More...)

Virtual eTech Ohio Conference

Sponsor: eTech Ohio
Target audience: Educators unable to attend the eTech Ohio Conference
SL Location: The Ohio University sim.
Synopsis: eTech Ohio virtual poster session of select eTech Ohio posters and a one-hour mixed-reality eTech Ohio 2007 panel session. (More...)

MGC Clue Game

SL location: The OLN Island sim.
Synopsis: A player can play the Clue game to become familiar with historical documents that the Multicultural Genealogical Center collects. (More...)

Penalty Kick Soccer Game

SL location: The OLN Island sim.
Synopsis: Two players can play this simulated penalty kick soccer game. (More...)

Projects for high schools

Credit Union Financial Education Game

Sponsor: Filene Research Institute, Member United Corporate Federal Credit Union
Target audience: Teens
SL location: The Credit Union Island in the Teen Grid.
Synopsis: Credit Union Financial Education Game is aiming to teach teenagers how to manage their finances in real life. (More...)

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Appalachian Tycoon

Sponsor: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Target audience: students in Athens High School and Meigs High School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio STEAM sim in the Teen Grid.
Synopsis: Appalachian Tycoon is an environmental protection game. (More...)

Projects for middle schools

Interactive Science Lab

Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
Target audience: students in Alexander Middle School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio STEAM sim in the Teen Grid
Synopsis: Science Lab where students can conduct fun experiments. (More...)

Rafting Adventures

Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
Target audience: students in Alexander Middle School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio Teen Island in the Teen Grid
Synopsis: Adventure on a raft where students learn about agents of erosion and deposition (More...)

Energy golf

Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
Target audience: students in Athens Middle School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio Teen Island in the Teen Grid
Synopsis: Game demonstrating the law of conservation of energy

Mystery School

Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
Target audience: students in Alexander Middle School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio Teen Island in the Teen Grid
Synopsis: Students visit the rooms within the mystery school to evaluate either observation or inference clues and find out which pets are missing in the school (More...)

Virtual Gallery Walk

Sponsor: The National Science Foundation
Target audience: students in Athens Middle School in Ohio
SL location: The Ohio Teen Island in the Teen Grid
Synopsis: Students select one of a finite number of categories to research and develop a poster from their findings. These posters form a gallery of student work; through the gallery students learn about the remaining categories (More...)

News

10/12/2007, Design News, "Second Life: A Virtual Universe for Real Engineering," http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6490691.html
4/11/2007, Ohio University Outlook, "Virtual food workshops will be held to celebrate minority health month," http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/06-07/April/502n-067.cfm
March 2007, "A Second Life for Middle School Science," T.H.E Journal.
2/26/2007 “Virtual worlds an outlet for learning, teaching,” Columbus Dispatch.
2/26/2007 “Just like life, but better, say fans of virtual worlds,” Columbus Dispatch.
2/21/2007 Linda L. Briggs, “Ohio University Opens Virtual Doors,” Campus Technology.
2/2/2007, "Education meets virtual reality: Be anyone, do anything -- and learn in the process," Ohio University Outlook.
1/29/2007, "Virtual-reality software creates parallel campus, enhances education," Athens News.

(More...)

Tutorials

A guide to Basic Building in Second Life.
A guide to DVD Conversion for Second Life use.
A guide to Uploading Files to Second Life.
A guide to Creating Machinima in Second Life through fraps.
A guide to Creating A Streaming Video for your .mov file and uploading it to the OU streaming server.
A guide to PowerPoint in Second Life. This guide was written for use by the VITAL Team in the VITAL Lab. If your situation is different, you will need to modify the instructions suitably.
A guide to Second Life Voice. This guide is a compilation of helpful information about Second Life Voice.

Second Life Development