By Dr. Cynthia Calongne, a.k.a. Lyr Lobo in Second Life. Getting started in a virtual world can be a challenge for educators, students, librarians, instructional designers and administrators. Beginning well is critical to the successful use of a virtual world. To ease some of the uncertainty, confusion and tension from those early moments, this humorous learning simulation is devoted to helping new virtual world users get comfortable and survive the perils. This is a Federal Virtual World Challenge 2012 entry under the Engaging Learning category. It uses a comic book style to offer tips that help to build virtual world competencies and skills while lightly covering etiquette, identity and culture issues. The topics and tips range from navigation, camera controls, interaction with objects, adding friends, griefer survival skills, inventory management for saving your avatar's look and shape, detaching personal objects before they are embarrassing and finding free content. Visit: http://engaginglearningsimulations.blogspot.com/2011/12/humorous-look-at-getting-started-in.html for more information.

1. It’s a Brave New World! A Humorous Look at Getting Started in a Virtual World Engaging Learning Great Beginnings for Educators & Students FVWC December 2011 Dr. Cynthia Calongne, Colorado Technical University

2. Best seat in the house! I was here first! *pinch* Everyone is so friendly! Navigation and interaction with objects is tricky! Tip 1: Right click on the cushion before sitting … not the step or you may sit backwards

3. Where did I put my hair? Newcomers wear their boxes wel l Tip 2: Unpack your loot: Items are often packed in a box. Drag it to the ground, right click, “open” it and “copy to inventory.”

4. Where did my hair go? Lyr feels a draft Lyr drug her hand over her Avatar & accidentally edited her hair Tip 3: Right click the hair, edit it and raise it up. If detached, select Wear or More and Wear

5. To keep in touch with Lyr Give Card? Oops - Eject!? Oh No! Eject me, will you? Tip 4: When right clicking on an avatar, choose wisely… Lyr plots her revenge

6. Now what was her name? Tip 5: Add a friend to keep in contact, but … ask first.

7. Tip 6: To avoid bouncing around, sit down or create a box and sit on it If your seat is not physical, you cannot be moved Report abuse immediately via the Help menu When a griefer shoots at you… Physics is not your friend!

8. Avatars come in all shapes, colors, species and sizes Corwin and Lyr (l) Heidi and Stella (r)

9. Tip 8: Rename your shape so you can find it Lyr is wearing a child’s shape I’m shrinking! Your shape changes when you wear a smaller avatar Tip 7: To save your look: Create a folder & put the items in it that you like to wear. Right click your folder & select Add to Outfit or Wear

10. Tip 9: To land, use the PageDown Key or Fly button! The SciLands are such fun! ...hmm, what does this do? Avatars attach to objects... Whoa! Flying high!

11. Tip 10: Left click to interact with an object and right click to sit … must…try ...everything! Some objects do not do anything when touched.

12. The Library & Clothing folders hold starting outfits Tip 11: Highlight, copy and paste the items from the Library into a new folder in My Inventory The initial outfits look great!

14. Wright State MBA students in their first class in SL I’m ready for action! How do I look? Get ready to collaborate!

16. It’s great to meet with educators! Lyr clicks on an invisible object that someone is wearing. I wonder what this does? Please click the chat box to give permission to blog your comments with no editing. Hello!

17. An object worn by an avatar moans in the local chat Remove all chattering objects before meetings! The chat log records & publishes it on a blog. Wow! This blog post is going to be riveting! blushes Moans… ...whimpers

18. Where’s my magic 8-ball? Lives outside the box Thinks creatively Who are these people? Educator avatars come in different shapes, sizes, races and species

19. How distinctive and delightful! Tip 15: Check your lost and found folder Lost items? No problem! Hello! I’d recognize you anywhere! Where did I put my body?

20. They have great educational freebies at the NMC Orientation island! Tip 16: Educational freebies are a great way to get started

21. NMC Educator Freebie Center Southeast corner of the NMC Orientation region Jack and Jill in a box! Avatar gear & animations Cool educator tools! Tip 17: Freebies: try them before public use Educational Outfits & Academic Regalia Love these freebies!

22. It’s a Brave New World! A Humorous Look at Getting Started in a Virtual World For more information, contact Cynthia Calongne Lyr Lobo in SL http://virtualworldholodecks.blogspot.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo http://ctusoftware.blogspot.com Licensed under a Creative Commons Share Alike with Attribution License