Second Life As Science: Studying The Bystander Effect

Guest Article by Alexis Bonari

Genovese Syndrome, otherwise known as the Bystander Effect, has long been a source of curiosity among both psychologists and laymen alike.  In short, the Bystander Effect can be characterized as follows: an individual being assaulted or otherwise attacked is less likely to receive help when numerous observers are present.  Cases of murder and physical abuse have occurred with no intervention on densely populated streets in broad daylight.  When more people were present, the victim was less likely to receive direct assistance.

Courtesy Xbox 360 Videos

A New Game In Town

Animation experts from Bournemouth University- UK have been given a grant to create a believable virtual world and avatars.  These will be used by The University College London to answer the following questions: why does the Bystander Effect happen and under what circumstances is it most likely to occur?

Where Virtual Meets Reality

Previous studies tracking the behaviors of Second Life players have shown a strong correlation between choices made in the game environment, and real-world decisions. It isn’t such a stretch, therefore, to assume that the choices made by online game players could be studied and applied to real-world scenarios.

The Test

Highly detailed avatars, much like those commonly seen in the popular online environment Second Life, will be created and staged in a realistic, virtual world. Participants in the study will be encouraged to interact with other players, building relationships as they would in any social simulation. Then, researchers will use their avatars to commit violent acts against other players in the virtual environment. Levels of protective response, verbal feedback, and other indicators will be tracked and studied to find patterns.

Setting A Precedent

Although the Bournemouth study has yet to produce any results, the use of a digital environment for studying human behavior is groundbreaking.  If the results of the experiment prove reliable in the real world, there’s little doubt that future experimental models will include virtual reality elements.


Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She spends much of her days blogging about Education and CollegeScholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

The Open, Social, Participatory Future of Online Learning

Educators from around the country are gathering this week to trade ideas at the 26th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning. George Veletsianos is Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology at the University of Texas. His new book Emerging Technologies in Distance Education looks very interesting. The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed him on the future of online learning and the Wired Campus. The comments on the blog in response to the interview are revealing of some of the attitudes and challenges faced by educators in today's ever changing online teaching environment.

I think virtual worlds and the 3D web have a huge part to play in contributing to this new thinking and practice in online learning. It's clear to see though that there is a long road ahead. Reflected in the discussion are the repeated concerns about the 'reinventing the wheel' attitude of some innovations and the need to have practical solutions to distance and online learning. Check out the article here.



Some text taken from here.

Discussion about Trends in Virtual Worlds by Simon Bignell and Panote Siriaraya

Panote Siriaraya , Simon Bignell - Trends in Virtual Worlds
Uploaded by NORDICWORLDS. - Technology reviews and science news videos.

Panote Siriaraya and Simon Bignell talk about Trends in Virtual Worlds for the Nordic Virtual Worlds Network Project whilst at a research workshop in Denmark entitled ‘Making Sense of Virtual Worlds and User Driven Innovation', June2010. Comments and discussion are most welcome.

John Underkoffler demos breathtaking computer interface

The next big leap in human-computer interface was demonstrated recently by John Underkoffler at his TED talk in February. He was one of the science advisers for the Steven Spielberg science-fiction film "Minority Report". Underkoffler suggests that in five years this technology will be built in to new computers as standard. I hope so. The demonstration is breathtaking.

How long after that can we expect this to be integrated with a virtual word or proprietary virtual reality cave? The implications for immersion into the virtual world are profound.

You can view the Spatial operating environment here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/15/john-underkoffler-ted-tal_n_612842.html

Get a second life

Last year Christian Jarrett interviewed me (and Milton) for an article in The Psychologist (The monthly magazine of the British Psychological Society) on the benefits (and dangers) of using virtual worlds in your psychological research, therapy and teaching. 

The article is available here.

Making Sense of Virtual Worlds

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited by Roskilde University to a 3-day cross disciplinary research workshop in Denmark entitled ‘Making Sense of Virtual Worlds and User Driven Innovation”. You can access the slides for my talk on problem-based learning and innovation in virtual worlds here. 

 On the final day I was thrilled to be in the real life audience for a Metanomics Mixed Reality Broadcast special where host Robert Bloomfield led a Second Life panel including Robin Teigland and Edward Castronova at the event and Tom Boellstorff in Second LIfe as they discussed the purchase of virtual islands, leasing of towns, recruiting avatar employees and more.

 Edward Castronova (Professor of Telecommunications, Indianna University)

 Robin Teigland (Associate Professor at Stockholm School of Economics)

 Tom Boellstorff (Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine)

‘Making Sense of Virtual Worlds and User Driven Innovation’

I'm currently at the ‘Making Sense of Virtual Worlds and User Driven Innovation’ conference in Denmark looking at ways in which we can explore meaning and content in virtual worlds. The conference is organised by Roskilde University. My 'Pecha Kucha' presentation  'Developing Innovative Problem-based Teaching in Virtual Worlds' is available here.

Keynotes include Mia Consalvo ; Jeremy Hunsinger ; John Lester; Jay David Bolter and a guest lecture by Edward Castronova.
  
Later today we'll have a mixed reality (Real Life and Second Life) broadcast that will be streamed from the Metanomics site on New Market Dynamics (at 19.00 BST). Also streamed here.

Simon

#VWworkshop

The AVATAR Project

The  AVATAR “Added Value of teAching in a virTuAl woRld” is a two year project (December 2009 - November 2011) co-financed by the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning Sub-Programme Comenius. The project is partnered in the UK with University of Hertfordshire.

AVATAR is inspired by the lack of ICT use in schools throughout Europe despite the possible educational benefits and social learning opportunities they promote. The project’s primary aim is to enhance the quality of teaching and education in secondary schools through an innovative virtual world learning earning and co-creation that can help teachers and students take a step closer towards the modernization and future of education. 

AVATAR provides an opportunity for both teachers and students to benefit from ICT skill development, social learning opportunities and a resource to help revive the traditional classroom environment, adding value to the learning process. V-learning promotes learning-by-doing that stimulates different learning styles and increases the level of student engagement in different subject matters through technology, integrating textbook, discussion groups and labs.

Some text taken from  http://www.avatarproject.eu

A new film about virtual worlds by New York-based documentary filmmaker Jason Spingarn-Koff.

Every day, across all corners of the globe, hundreds of thousands of users log onto Second Life, a virtual online world not entirely unlike our own. They enter a new reality, whose inhabitants assume alternate personas in the form of avatars—digital alter egos that can be sculpted and manipulated to the heart’s desire, representing reality, fantasy, or a healthy mix of both. Within this alternate landscape, escapism abounds, relationships are formed, and a real-world economy thrives, effectively blurring the lines between reality and "virtual" reality.

Director Jason Spingarn-Koff digs deeply into the core of basic human interaction by assuming his own avatar and immersing himself in the worlds of Second Life residents, whose real lives have been drastically transformed by the new lives they lead in cyberspace. In doing so, he manages to create an intimate, character-based drama that forces us to question not only who we are, but who we long to be.

-from the Sundance Film Festival Film Guide

Preview HERE

Virtual Worlds in Education...Why?

A really nice presentation given to the Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield, in April 2010 by John from Virtual World Watch (VWW). They produce regular reports on ’who’ is doing ’what’ with virtual worlds in UK universities and colleges.

Sheffield April 2010

View more presentations from Virtual World Watch.

CNN article on Autism and Virtual Worlds

I've been asked by several readers about the CNN interview I did some time ago talking about virtual worlds and Autism. Here is a repost of the accompanying video from the telephone interview. If you have any comments please post here.

SL-Labs at Derby University Virtual campus

Here's a sneek preview of some of the developments happening at Derby University's virtual (Second Life) campus. You can get to the virtual campus by following this link after you've installed Second Life. http://tinyurl.com/4n6lmo

Here is the area under the main SL-Labs building. It features various activity offices, virtual lecture theatre and Psychology laboratories.


Here's the PREVIEW-Psych project build. The project was a collaboration between Derby and Aston University and funded by JISC and HEA-Psychology Network. This is just part of the virtual build where students take part in problem-based learning for Psychology. The project website can be accessed at: www.previewpsych.org



Here is the Information area on the project site. You can get here by installing Second Life and following this link. http://tinyurl.com/yf372yq