Tutor's Notes 1 to 3

Below is useful information, tips and ideas to accompany the folder inserts for the first lessons.

Introduction
Read the notes on the Using SL page and familiarise yourself using SL before you introduce it to your students. It will probably be useful to discuss using SL with your technical staff and check that everything works on the computers you are to use. If you have questions try asking other avatars in SL. People are usually very helpful. You can also join groups and ask open questions to the whole group. Any group members in SL at the time will see your instant messages and someone will probably help you. There are many groups, you may like to join:
  • UK educators
  • London England
  • Builder's Brewery
Make copies of the Introduction to SL handout from the folder. You may wish to blow them up to A4 on your photocopier and make them double sided.

Review our Using Second Life Safely document and reproduce this, or your own version, for your students. You may choose to insist that they sign a simple form saying they have read and understood Lindens and your own codes of conduct in SL.

Remember using SL is not like using a web site. Other SL users will be very aware of your students if they are in the same area, especially if your students behave badly.
Lesson 1
You may wish to make a group of your own for you and your students. This costs L$100. This makes communication easier and allows you to see when members last logged in and who is online now.

Use the Introduction and the Lesson 1 handouts to introduce SL to your students. It would be useful to ask students to wriet their avatar names on the board so you know who is who. Try to contain them in one area but don't be over restricting. Second Life should be enjoyable and motivating. These first sessions may be quite noisy but you will soon find that classes in SL tend to be very quiet as students will be using SL chat and IM to communicate with each other.

Students will need to use an email system when registering their avatar. Some may not have an email address or may forget their passwords!

Lesson 2
You may find it useful to define a place in SL to meet the class. This can be on your own land or just a quiet cafe or garden you like in SL. Make and distribute a landmark for this meeting place so your students can find it easily. Students can put this landmark in their favourites bar for easy access. You may also like to make smaller spaces for small groups and for one to one sessions. 

Lesson 3
Students may wish to spread out if there is space and even use two computers - one for SL and one for their browser.