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Similar to Virtual Worlds Research at Debney Park Secondary College
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Virtual Worlds Research at Debney Park Secondary College
- 1. Stefan Schutt : Work-based Education Research Centre, Victoria University Magdi Ghobrial: ICT Coordinator, Debney Park Secondary College
- 3. Virtual Worlds and Second Life
- 9. Debney Park students using Second Life
Editor's Notes
- Avatars provide a mechanism by which users engage with a virtual world, with others and with objects. When we construct an avatar a range of both ‘conscious’ and ‘unconscious’ factors influence the decisions we make about how we customise its look and the abilities we give it. Michener and De Lamater argue that: In authentic self-presentation, our goal is to create an image of ourselves in the eyes of others that is consistent with the way we view ourselves (our real self). In ideal self-presentation, our goal is to establish a public image of ourselves that is consistent with what we wish we were (our ideal self). In tactical self-presentation, our concern is to establish a public image of ourselves that is consistent with what others want us to be (Michener and DeLamater 1999: 215). The function of avatars in virtual environments has been described as ‘the material out of which relationships and interactions are embodied’ (Taylor 2002: 40). Taylor also explains that ‘like all objects, the artefact of the avatar is located within a system of meanings and values which will have an impact on how it is experienced and received’ (Taylor 2002: 40) and Matusitz (2005).
- Presented with a blank slate, the initial choices governing an avatars existence are influenced by the pre-existing, real-life identities and motivations of their creators (Bechar-Israeli, 1998, in Joinson, 2003. p.126). The first step for many in the development of an online identity happens when they are asked to choose a name for their avatar; in TSL users are provided with a pre-defined selection of last names and can choose any first name (providing it hasn’t already been chosen). The act of naming their avatar can foster in users a feeling of ‘connection’ to their avatar and is for some the first step toward the development of an online identity (Bechar-Israeli, 1998, in Joinson, 2003. p.126). Most popular first name: male = ‘Aaron’, female = ‘Helen’, most popular last name ‘Allen’ http://obijan.com/slstats/report_av.php?reportnum=65
- The function of avatars in virtual environments has been described as “the material out of which relationships and interactions are embodied” (Taylor, 2002, p.40). Avatars have been employed to represent the users of virtual environments since the early 1980s when graphics based virtual worlds existed as computer game ‘back-stories’. Early research of avatar behaviour conducted by the Virtual Worlds Group at Microsoft over a period of six years in the 1990s, revealed a desire by users to customise their avatars. Avatar customisation in the graphical chat environment V-Chat in 1998 was, by the platform developers own admission, “a lot of work” (Cheng et al., 2002, p.99). Mastering the unwieldy tools required to customise the stock standard avatars demanded time and effort, however the researchers found that despite this obstacle 87% of users chose to customise their avatars (Cheng et al., 2002, p.100). Developments in avatar customisation tools have increased their range and in many cases decreased their learning curve. In contrast to real-life, virtual worlds allow young people almost limitless opportunities to construct, deconstruct or reconstruct their appearance through avatar customisation. As with real-life, the way we look and act plays a large part in how we perceive ourselves and others and how others perceive us (Goffman, 1990). A resident’s online identity will be further shaped by the customising the appearance of their avatars (Yee and Bailenson, 2007).
- So what does this mean? Are we painting a picture of a deficit model? Blaming the victim etc.
- Access to the virtual world for the students at Cityscape High beyond the Information Technology classroom was, as we have indicated earlier, problematic. The underlying reality of what we have referred to as ‘multiple layers of disadvantage’ had a significant impact on our work with the students. These young people, unlike those at the elite private school where we worked, did not have access to virtual worlds outside of school. They neither had the resources nor the support at home to continue what they had been doing at school.