From jokaydia: Exploring Virtual Worlds and Games in Education

Establishing an Educational Presence in Second Life

Note: This resource is currently under development.

The following is information and useful links which may assist educators in working through the process of establishing an educational presence in Second Life. There are a range of options to consider including purchasing a Private Island, buying land on the mainland, or renting space.

Click on the links below for further information:

• Establishing an Island
  • What is a Second Life Island?
  • Islands: Costs
  • Islands: Benefits
  • Islands: Issues to Consider
  • Islands: The Purchasing Process
• Buying Land on the Mainland
  • Buying Land on the Mainland from another Resident
  • Buying Land on the Mainland via Auction
• Buying an Island on the Teen Grid
• Renting Land
  • Renting Land from Educational Organisations in Second Life
  • Renting Land from Other Residents
  • Renting Land from Linden Labs
• Services and Spaces Available for Educators
  
• Useful Links and Contacts

Establishing an Island

What is a Second Life Island?

Educators who wish to setup large, permanent learning spaces in Second Life can do so by purchasing a Private Island.

A private Island in Second Life provides 16-acres of virtual space and an allowance of 15,000 prims, which can be used as a secure 'intranet' space with restricted membership, or set as open and public, so educators and students can interact with other residents in Second Life.

A growing number of educational organisations are establishing their own Islands in Second Life, with the aim of establishing virtual spaces where educational projects can take place. For a comprehensive list of educational projects currently being undertaken in Second Life view our Educational Uses of Second Life resource or see: Institutions and Organizations in SL via the SimTeach Wiki.

Islands: Costs

There are significant costs associated with establishing an Island in Second Life. Although Educational Institutions are entitled to a %50 discount, the current cost for establishing an Island is $837.50 (US Dollars). Additionally, a monthly maintenance fee of $295.00 (US Dollars) is also applied to all accounts.

Pre-Payment Required to Receive Educational Discount: All orders placed for Islands under the Educational program require 6 or 12 months prepayment for maintenance. Currently, this is equivalent to: Once a year is equal to $3,540.00 (US Dollars); Once in six months is equal to $1,770.00 (US Dollars).

For further information see:

• Land Pricing
  

Islands: Benefits

There are a range of benefits to owning a Private Island - whether it's on the Main Grid or the Teen Grid:

• Access to 65,000m sq of land and 15,000 prims for content creation
  
• Private Island owners can also set access rules.
  
• Up to 300 residents can be placed on the Allow and Ban Lists, and up to 63 groups can be added in the Allowed Groups List.
  
• Ability to adjust terraform limits
  
• Control over maximum number of simultaneous Residents allowed
  
• Ability to adjust Mature/PG settings
  
• Control over water height, ground textures, texture ranges
  
• Customisation of the position and phase of the Sun.
  

Islands: Issues to Consider

Educators setting up an Educational Island in Second Life should consider the following issues:

• Ongoing Costs:
  
• Setup Time: Usually private islands will be delivered in about 10 business days of placing your order. However, some educators have reported delays in getting their Island in Second Life setup and billing agreements resolved. For this reason, it is advised that educators ensure at least 6 weeks lead time.
  
• Management Issues: Managing content, traffic and security can be time consuming.
  

Islands: The Purchasing Process

• Step 1. To purchase and Island you must create Premium Account for Second Life. For further information on Membership plans visit the Second Life website.
  
• Step 2. Go to the Second Life Special Island Order Form to lodge your order. See: http://shopping.netsuite.com/secondlife?
  
• Step 3. Name Your Island: Island names must be no more than 3 words, with a total of less than 20 characters, including the spaces. You may not use the words "SL", "Second Life" or "Linden Lab" in the island name. All names must contain only alphanumeric characters: no punctuation. The name cannot be a RL city name. If you decide to change it later there is a US$50 charge.
  
• Step 4. Locate Your Island: Educators can stipulate where their Island is located on the Second Life Map. This can be useful when planning multi-island projects or to allow for linked organisations to position their virtual spaces near each other. To stipulate the position of your island, enter the coordinates on the Grid, or describe what Island you wish to be placed near. If you do not enter anything, Linden Labs will locate your Island.
  
• Step 5. Choose Your Landscape: There are 4 default Island shapes available. For further information see: Please note - after the Island is established, users can create and upload customised landscape using the Estate Tools. For further information see: Tips for Creating Heightfields and Details on Terrain RAW Files.
  
• Step 6. Identify the Estate Owner: Enter the SL Avatar First Name and Last Name of the associated with the person who will manage the Estate settings, access and group tools for the new Island.
  
• Step 7. Institution Details: Enter the purchasing Institution's Name, Your status as an educator or non-profit will require verification prior to island delivery, and you will be contacted by the Second Life Concierge Team.
  
• Step 8. Expected Uses: Provide a brief description of the Educational Uses of your new Island. Note that Linden Labs reserves the right not to apply the Educational Discount, and also reserves the right to revoke educational status if they deem the Island is being used for primarily non-educational activities.
  
• Step 9. Proceed to Checkout and enter billing details.

Buying Land on the Mainland

Buying Land on the Mainland from another Resident

Educators who are interested in creating a smaller permanent space in Second Life should consider purchasing a plot of land on the Main Grid. Although this does not provide some of the more advanced features available on an Island, a plot on the Second Life Mainland can provide an adequate space for teachers and students to meet, interact, learn and create in.

Finding and Buying Land on the Mainland

You can see what's currently on the market by checking out Second Life's in-world map to view what's currently for sale. Alternatively, launch Second Life and click on the Search Button at the bottom of the screen. From the Search Interface, select the Land Sales tab. You will see available land, prices and locations listed in the search results, and can teleport to available plots to check them out.

Purchasing land from another resident is fairly simple - however Educators will need to purchase Linden Dollars - the inworld currency of Second Life in order to make the transaction. For further information visit the Linden Exchange.

Issues to Note:

• Educators purchasing land in Second Life should check the Terms of Service prior to making their purchase.Educators must have a Premium Second Life Account to own land on the Main Grid. For further information see: Membership Plans and Pricing on the Second Life website.
  * Some regions have special rules that you should consider before purchasing land there. Check the Land Covenants in the About Land Tab for further information about any specific limitations or rules.
  * Compare the price of the land you are buying with plots of similar size in the area. Buying real estate in Second Life is a lot like buying real estate in real life - be careful of dishonest agents and check carefully before purchasing.
  

Buying Land on the Mainland at Auction

Under development.

Buying Land on the Teen Grid

Linden Labs maintains both the Main Grid, which is designated as a space for adults only (18 years old and over); and a Teen Grid, which has been created and shaped by teens aged 13-17 years. For further information see: Second Life: Educators Working with Teens on the SimTeach wiki.

For further information:

   * Visit the Second Life Teen Grid website
* View the Teen Grid Terms of Service Document

Educator wishing to work with students aged 13-17 years must buy a private island on the Teen Grid to participate, but will not be able to leave that island and visit the Teen Grid mainland. Teens from the mainland will be able to visit private islands, but they will be automatically informed that there are adults present.

Important Note:

   * Educators wishing to work on the Teen Grid will need to provide appropriate background checks for security and child protection purposes. For further information see:
* Students who are 18 years old or over are considered adults. All adults involved in educational projects on the Teen Grid will need to submit a background check. Because of this requirement, most programs with mixed age groups of 13-17 and 18+ choose to run simultaneous projects on the Teen Grid for students under 18 and on the Main Grid of Second Life for students over 18.

Further information on projects being undertaken on the Second Life Teen Grid is available via the SimTeach Wiki.

Renting Land

Renting Land from Educational Organisations in Second Life

Under development.

Renting Land from Other Residents

Under development.

Renting Land from Linden Labs

Under development.

Services and Spaces Available for Educators

Organisations Offering Facilities for Educators

   * The Consultants-E SL - EduNation: http://www.theconsultants-e.com/edunation/edunation.asp
* EDTECH island is a non-profit resource open to the public for educational use. The island hosts an amphitheatre, large sandbox for building/scripting classes, a lodge with a conference table that seats 15, as well as two informational center for virtual educators. To schedule an event, contact Bcreative Wilde inworld.
* Education Island - a place where you can find useful tools for education and testing (i.e. Team Testers), as well as support equipment you could use in classes. You can rent fully equipped classroom or get help for creating your own. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Education%20Island
* English Village (for language teachers): http://eslteacherlink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=88888918
* Verum's Place - http://audiocourses.pbwiki.com/Verum%27s-Place
* Angel Learning
* Educational institutions often advertise land for rent and services available for educators (for free or a fee) on the Second Life Educator's Mailing List (SLED).
* New Media Consortium (NMC) - NMC Announces Parcel Leases in Three New Educational Communities in Second Life
* Eduisland
* Audio Island
* Birdie Newborn's Belle Island

Payment Options

Making payments for our Second Life Island can be difficult for some Australian educational institutions, as Linden Labs is US based company. Many Educators have reported difficulties in meeting the requirements of their Instititutions purchasing procedures, so all care should be taking when establishing your new Island.

Payment Options include:

   * US Credit Card
* PayPal
* Invoice - payments by wire transfer or cheque only

Issues to Note:

   * For further information on payment via invoice contact the Second Life Billing Department.
* Educators have reported difficulties with using credit cards to make payment.
* Educators who have been through the process have reported that it is possible to arrange for manual billing via the Second Life Concierge Customer Service department.
* International Transfer of funds can take up to 10 working days from some financial Institutions in Australia.

Useful Links and Contacts

Links

The following links will be useful when establishing an Island in Second Life:

   * Second Life Website: Buying an Island
* Second Life Website: Education
* Second Life Website: Landstore
* Second Life Knowledge Base: Private Island FAQ

Useful Contacts

Linden Labs supports the Education Community in a number of ways - including providing Community Managers who are available to support Educators working in Second Life. For further information visit the Education section on the Second Life Website or contact Claudia Linden (Claudia L'Amoreaux). Email: claudia@lindenlab.com

Additionally, some Educators have reported that contacting the Concierge Team has been effective in organising payment via Purchase Order. For further information contact Jay Linden, Concierge Team - Billing Specialist. Linden Lab, 1100 Sansome Street, San Francisco CA 94111-1205. Ph# 415-243-9000 x 354. Fax# 415-243-9045. Email: jills@lindenlab.com.

You can also lodge Support Requests or Contact Linden Labs via the Second Life Website. Additionally, a Toll-Free Support Telephone Service is available - Tel: (0011) +1 703-286-6277 (Australia) or Island owners can contact the Concierge Service via concierge@lindenlab.com.