Students who take courses using the University’s Second Life (SL) platform (New Orleans Island) are taking real courses for actual credit, just as are students who enroll in online courses. The principal difference is that in SL students have a presence (albeit in avatar or character form) and that the SL class meets at a scheduled time. Because of these differences, the University of New Orleans will require that all students who enroll in SL courses agree to the following stipulations:
- Students who enroll in Second Life courses at UNO must, on their own, register with Second Life (secondlife.com), create an avatar, and agree to the Terms of Service. Second Life requires all “residents” (avatars) to be registered to people who are eighteen years of age, or older.
- The student shall take responsibility for having access to the technology required to work in SL, including voice communication, and for addressing any technical issues that arise. The University may make available some computers for work in SL, but the student should not rely on this option.
- Students shall comport themselves in the SL classroom in a manner consistent with established University guidelines for regular classrooms, and the sanctions for violation of these guidelines that exist in the real-life classroom setting will pertain to SL. In addition, specific to SL, students shall not show or use in class any device or script that can be used to damage the site or distract other students.
- Students may use an SL name in class, but must agree in advance to submit their actual names to the University for purposes of record keeping. The usual University privacy policies shall remain in effect for SL students.
- All existing University provisions regarding academic honesty pertain to SL—to wit, the student enrolled in the class must in fact be the student operating the avatar during class, and it must be the registered student, unassisted by others, who is taking the exams and doing the projects.
- Unless a part of a class assignment, any activity that a student engages in away from New Orleans Island will be considered private activity beyond the jurisdiction of the University, as is the case for off-campus activity in the real world. The student shall not represent his/her activities as authorized by the University, and shall take complete responsibility for his/her actions.
Please note the additional comments and recommendations:
- Avatar identity: SL offers wonderful opportunities for exploring individual identity, and every effort will be made to accommodate these opportunities. Students will be allowed to choose the avatar that they prefer, including animal shapes and/or opposing genders; however, an avatar should not be offensive or unduly distracting. For example, avatars should wear appropriate clothing at all times; or to cite a second example, if a student decides to come to class as a dragon, he/she should not be shooting flames at other students.
- Avatar Movement: You may want to practice moving your avatar or character in SL before you begin class. Be sure to check the “Camera Controls” and “Movement Controls” options under the View menu at the top of the screen. These controls will help you see yourself and move around more easily.
- Respect for Property: One of the activities in SL is building, and this activity is both fun and educational. Please refrain from building on the UNO island unless building is part of a class; the University will automatically return any unauthorized objects to the owners. Go to a public sandbox where you can build to your heart’s content.
- Here are a few matters of SL etiquette:
- When using text chat, don't "shout" when regular chat will do.
- Remember, text chat is public (all secrets will be exposed!); IM conversations are private.
- When using text chat and in a crowd, say the name of the person you are addressing or you may get unwanted (and often confused) responses.
- Avoid bumping into other people (although sometimes system problems cause avatar collisions.