About Us      Our Approach      Programs      Curriculum      Services      Resources

Virtual World Construction Essentials


Virtual World Construction Essentials

1. What skills will students learn in the program?
On the first day of the program, students will be introduced to the numerous virtual worlds currently in use in medicine, business, entertainment and education. They will learn the basics of Second Life, including how to customize the appearance of their avatar, how to interact and communicate with other avatars (including voice and chat), teleporting, and landmarks. Proceeding from this base of knowledge, students will learn how to construct objects and buildings in Second Life, embed video, apply textures, and do basic scripting. Over the course of the session, students will work on their own and in teams to complete a series of architectural design challenges through which they will begin to master higher level virtual world skills.

2. What content knowledge will students learn in the program?image
Content will focus on
  • Spatial reasoning
  • 3-dimensional design
  • Visual design
  • Graphic design

Students will also develop skills in
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Collaboration
  • Reflection
  • Critique
  • Iterative design process

3. What are the dates of the program?
The program will be offered in two separate week-long blocks.
  • Monday-Friday, August 9-13.
  • : Monday-Friday, August 16-20.

4. How many students are in the program?
16 max

5. What is the age range for students in this program?
13-18

6. What if any prior knowledge is required? What is recommended (but not required)?
An interest in virtual worlds, massively multi-player online role-playing games, graphic design, architecture will be a great help to the student.

7. What if anything do students need to bring with them to the program?
Students may choose to bring their own laptop to the session, provided that it meets the core requirements for running Second Life, which are available here.

8. What is the cost of the program?
$385.

9. Where will the program be offered?
In the greater Danbury or Hartford areas. Exact location TBD. Please check back for details.

10. What should parents know about this program?
Second Life is an free application available to adults and teens and has been put to a wide range of uses. For more information about Second Life and examples of some of its current applications in education, please go here.

11. What is the expected dress code?
Please see the dress code outlined in the expectations for student behavior: http://skills21.org/index.php/programs

12. Who is the instructor?
Dan Cogan-Drew







PROGRAMS