Introducing Students to Second Life: Step-by-Step Instructions
These step-by-step instructions will get your students Second Life accounts, avatars, and some basic instruction on how to move, navigate and modify their avatar’s appearance and dress. Edit at will for your particular institution or course.
1. Go to www.secondlife.com and begin creating your Second Life (SL) account and avatar by clicking “Join Now.” If you want to be able to use SL at home, download the free software available on their homepage. Otherwise, the computer lab in Parlin 102 has SL for you to use during lab hours.
2. While you are creating your account and avatar, don’t worry too much about your appearance. All of that can be changed, from your gender and body-shape to your hair-style.
3. Once you have created your account, avatar, and are logged-in to SL, you will be given the choice of going to their orientation island, where you can get a feel for the program and practice moving around, or to be sent directly into SL. The choice is yours.
4. After you’ve entered SL, go to the map button in the lower right corner of the screen:
5. Within the Map window, Search for “UT Austin 1″:
6. Then, click “Teleport,” and you will be transported to UT Austin’s land:
7. Once you’ve teleported to UT’s land (if you see lots of longhorns on signs, you’re in the right place!), you should create a landmark for it so you can always get here quickly and easily. To do this click on “World” in your top menu and select “Create Landmark Here.”
8. Next, look around until you locate the map of UT’s land. Locate the DIIA training building on the map (it’s actually right behind the map). The building has “ENTRANCE” printed along one wall, so it’s hard to miss. Enter the building and follow the walking tutorial. By going through DIIA’s training building, you will learn how to use keystrokes to move (run, fly, jump), how to modify your body shape and change your gender, how to buy things (like clothes and other props), how to use your inventory, etc. It’s a great basic intro if you have no experience with SL.
9. After you’ve finished the training building, you can go check out Rhetorical Peaks itself. It’s on UT’s land. You can find it easily by flying and just spotting it (it’s the only mountainous area around), or you can use its coordinates or SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UT%20Austin%203/86/243/80