From jokaydia: Exploring Virtual Worlds and Games in Education

Science Education Projects

Second Life offers a range of opportunities to explore science including simulations, virtual experiments, scientific symposiums, exhibits and displays.

For further information about Science in Second Life, visit the Science Centre Wiki.

Abyss Museum of Ocean Science

Launched in November 2007, the Abyss Museum of Ocean Science was created by Second Life artists Rezago Kokorin and Sunn Thunders, and is designed to provide a multi-sensory and multi-dimensional exhibition of the planet's oceans, which combines art, science, and education.

The Museum included exhibits and spaces including:

• The Boardwalk - where visitors can view models of historical undersea craft along with other exhibits, or feed the sharks!
• The Shallows and Sculpture Garden - where visitors can interact with a variety of sea creatures and a model of the Cousteau diving saucer.
• Observation Deck/Art Gallery - which includes a collection of artworks, the fishing game and a space for visitors to relax and socialise.
• Imagination Garden - the sea floor where visitors can meet fantasy creatures of the deep, engage in exhibits and check out the active volcano.

One of the key features of The Abyss was the system of connected observation pods which guide the viewer from the surface to the depths of the ocean below. Within each pod, visitors could access information about the different zones of the ocean.

For more information visit the Abyss Museum of Ocean Science Blog or view images of the Abyss Museum on Flickr.

Genome Island

Originally developed by Professor Mary Anne Clark aka Max Chatnoir, a Professor at Texas Wesleyan University, Genome Island (SLurl) is focussed on using Second Life to teach genetics. Using the building and scripting tools in Second Life, she has created laboratories where students can take part in virtual experiments that produce analyzable data. The Island is also designed as a place where students and other residents can meet and talk with professional geneticists. The Island includes a range of interesting areas, including:

• the Abbey of Saint Thomas in Mendel's Garden which is focussed on the laws of inheritance, which were discovered by Johann Gregor Mendel in the mid-nineteenth century
• the Tower which includes a Genes are DNA (Hershey-Chase) Experiment, DNA Models, a virtual DNA Sequencer, a model of the human chromosome and also includes quizes, notecards and links to additional information
• the Terrace - which houses a giant model of a Eukaryatoic Cell which residents can enter and interact with
• the Gene Pool which is situated by a lovely virtual pond and includes a series of displays which illustrate Protein Synthesis
• the Cattery, exploring genetic inheritance.

To find out more about Genome Island read an article on the Islands from Educause or watch a video about The Tower at Genome Islands on Youtube.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established a presence in Second Life in April 2006 to Meteora (SLurl) as part of their online education program. Since then they have established an extensive collection interactive educational demonstrations about the ocean and weather. In December 2007, NOAA added Okeanos Island (SLurl), which is particularly focussed on ocean science.

NOAA's islands include a wide range of immersive and educational spaces including:

• a Glacier demo
• the Hurricane and Weather Balloon
• the Sea life and Submarine Tour
• a Real Time Weather Simulation
• the Tsunami Demo
• a Coastal Management and Geo Survey Centre
• a Harmful Algai Bloom
• the Coastal Observations and Predictions Centre
• the Ferry Charting Demo
• the Monterey Kelp Forest
• the Marine Santuary Sub Tour
• an Oil Spill simulation
• and Channel Islands, the Olypmic Coast and the NW Hawaiian Coasts.

For further information read a press release on the NOAA website, check out a post about NOAA in Second Life at Second Life Insider, view images from NOAA's Islands on Flickr, watch a video about NOAA's Virtual Ocean Demonstration or watch a video tour of NOAA's Islands on Youtube.

Scilands - Science Community in Second Life

Scilands (SLurl) was founded in April 2007 by an international group of scientists and educators from universities, research laboratories, museums and scientific agencies and is dedicated to exploring science and technology in virtual worlds. It's members include the National Physical Laboratory (UK), NASA Ames Research Center, San Francisco's Exploratorium hands-on science and technology museum, Elon University, the University of Denver, NOAA, the Imperial College of London and the International Spaceflight Museum.

The aim of Scilands is to bring together scientists and educators to explore how Second Life can be used for education (formal and informal), public outreach, knowledge transfer, simulation, research, conferencing, meetings, and giving presentations.

There are many resources and spaces to explore at Scilands including:

• NOAA's Islands - Meteora and Okeanos
  
• the International Spaceflight Museum
  
• Nanotechnology Island
  
• UK Future Focus
• Spoland - the Exploratorium
  
• Genome Islands 
  
• the Space Studies Institute
  
• Second Earth 
  
• Biome
  
• Tech Virtual 
  
• University of Denver Science School
• Second Health

For more information visit the Scilands website, view a map of the Scilands continent, check out the Scilands Classroom website or watch walk-thru video of Scilands on Youtube.

Timeline of Earth

The Timeline of Earth (SLurl) has been created by students in the ASTR 202 “Exploring Life in the Universe” non-major astronomy class at the University of Arizona over 2 semesters. During the course, students in the class create, research, build, and script exhibits for ’spotlight times’ during the Earth’s 4.6 billion year history.

Visitors are invited to walk the timeline in a spiral pattern and click posters and models for information about the Earth and life of Earth during that time period. The display includes ‘immersive boxes’ where you can listen to the Moon landing or watch a dinosaur bite the dust!

The project is set to continue in 2009, with further details and exhibits planned.

For more information read an article about the Timeline on the NMC Campus blog, view images of the Timeline on Flickr, view screenshots from the project, read Astronomy in Second Life: A User’s Perspective (PDF) which includes extensive information about the project or watch a video fly-thru of the timeline on Youtube.