Second Life

Announcing Akron Island!

DDS at the University of Akron has acquired a virtual world area in Second Life. This space is called an "Island" in Second Life and is 256 meters x 256 meters. It is available for instructors to explore the use of Virtual Worlds in their teaching. See below for more information about the project and FAQ’s.

Mission of the UA Second Life Advisory Committee

The Second Life Advisory Committee will:

1. Educate the campus community about Second Life, Akron Island, and educational uses of Second Life.
2. Promote the educational uses of Second Life and the Akron Island in Second Life.
3. Generate and coordinate interdisciplinary discussions and activities in Second Life, specifically on Akron Island.
4. Serve as resource persons for UA personnel learning to use Second Life for short or long term projects.
5. Act as liaisons with our academic disciplines and professional communities.

Island FAQs

• Question: Is this a new ITS service?
  • No. This is a pilot project intended to understand virtual worlds better and allow university educators an opportunity to explore the instructional possibilities. This project could be closed depending on the results of the pilot project, in addition funding, scalability, sustainability have not been resolved at this moment.
• Question: What is Second Life?
  • Second Life is a commercial product that allows the user to enter a virtual world, chat with other users from around the world, manipulate objects, and engage in other activities.
• Question: How do I get started with Second Life?
  • Obtain a free Second Life login avatar. Contact Jana Russ (russ@uakron.edu) to join the Second Life Advisory Committee at UA!
• Question: How do I gain access to the University Island?
  • SLurl provides direct teleport links to locations in Second Life. If you have Second Life installed, clicking on this link will automatically teleport you to that location in-world: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Akron%20Island/143/115/29
• Question: How do I get land on the University Island?
  • Land is distributed on a first come first serve basis. The land is for instructional purposes only. Research spaces can be accommodated on a temporary basis as space is available.
• Question: How long do I have the land on the University Island?
  • Projects typically last one semester, however this may vary depending on the project.