|
Classroom Bullies Haunt Second Life
|
|
Written by Strange Ranger
|
|
Friday, 02 November 2007 |
|
by Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick New Media Consortium (NMC) is SL's largest educational presence and is fostering a growing in-world community that supports events, classes, exhibitions, and more. While on the NMC campus, Jason Ford, who teaches game design and simulation for Kingwood College, was approached by a female avatar. Anticipating conversation, Ford was stunned by what followed her greeting. "She whipped out a shotgun and fired at me! The next thing I know my character is being heralded off the island toward the water. Some gun," he jokes. But it wasn't funny anymore when he realized the experience had only just begun. "She came looking for me, shooting the gun into the water. I teleported out of there," Ford says. Looking at griefers with humor is one way to deal with an attack such as this. After all, Ford says, "[Griefers are] virtual and have a solution. Luckily, no one gets hurt, just frustrated." But some people are wondering whether education in the virtual realm merits this kind of trouble. Ford attests, "We don't let the paranoia of violence in the real world distract us from our job of teaching, reaching, and changing the lives of our students. That holds true for a virtual campus as well." READ IT ALL HERE:
http://www.koin.com
|
