I talk to AJ Brooks more than anyone else in SL, with Viv Trafalgar running a close second. Yet while Viv and I often prognosticate about the future of virtual worlds, AJ is usually engaged in moderating the weekly Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable, so our chats tend to be on the topic of that day.

AJ is the Director of Emerging Instructional Technology for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University in New Jersey. This puts him in a better position than many of us to see trends among the tools we use for teaching.

Using as my point of departure AJ's article "Virtual Worlds? Outlook Good," from the September/October 2008 issue of EDUCAUSE Review, I asked AJ to visit my office on Richmond Island and revisit his topic. A great deal has occurred since then.

Iggy: hey AJ

Iggy: well, have a sit

Iggy: thanks for taking time to meet today

Iggy: in light of all that is going on in SL, it's a good time to reflect on the ideas

Iggy: you put forth in your EDUCAUSE article

Iggy: let's start, though, with a few preliminary Qs I ask every one I interview

Iggy: How did you find out about SL?

AJ Brooks: One of my faculty members told me about it, about 4 months before I actually tried it out

AJ Brooks: this same faculty member told me about Active Worlds a year before that

AJ Brooks: :)

Iggy: why did you choose to explore SL?

AJ Brooks: well - i went in looking at it as a teaching and learning tool, so it seems only natural to explore and find out what it was all about

Iggy: yes

AJ Brooks: although, almost immediately, I saw the benefit of it as a tool for learning

Iggy: you have taught one class here?

Iggy: or more?

AJ Brooks: yes - I've taught three classes, two of them were only in small parts, the main course was a full hybrid class

Iggy: cool

AJ Brooks: we met one day on campus and one day in SL

Iggy: What did students most like about SL? Dislike?

AJ Brooks: hmm - I really didn't talk to them too much about what they liked and disliked. I wouldn't ask them what they liked or disliked about Blackboard or a book I choose. This didn't (and shouldn't) stop them from voicing some opinions, but I didn't formally ask

AJ Brooks: they didn't like the technical ramp up

Iggy: yeah

AJ Brooks: or the challenges of using their own computers - video card, etc...

Iggy: again, something I found

AJ Brooks: they loved being able to do things in Sl they could not in the actual world

Iggy nods

Iggy: what was their favorite assignment? Yours?

AJ Brooks: hmm - the course was not structured that way. SL was a vehicle for us to meet, not just to do assignments. The assignments were for the class as a whole, SL was just the vehicle on certain days

Iggy: aha

Iggy: so they didn't do discrete SL-centered work

Iggy: but what about the dorm-room project?

AJ Brooks: well - they did, but it was chunks of assignments that were part of the whole.

AJ Brooks: For instance

AJ Brooks: they were writing about social issues, so on several of the class meetings they would explore SL to find information on various social issues

AJ Brooks: so - that was the assignment

Iggy: gotcha...did they find much?

AJ Brooks: then we reconvened before class was over and shared data

AJ Brooks: oh yes

AJ Brooks: the dorm project was different

AJ Brooks: it was part of their final project

Iggy: it grew out of what they'd done earlier?

AJ Brooks: yes - they had to design a dorm room to demonstrate what they had learned about social issues throughout the semester

Iggy: I'll be sure to tip some pics into my blog post

AJ Brooks: some focused on one issue, most on many issues

AJ Brooks: they were very creative

Iggy: when they began, how did you handle the first hour?

AJ Brooks: we did that together, in class

Iggy: YOW

AJ Brooks: i had them sign up for the account in advance

Iggy: You must have six brains

AJ Brooks: lol

Iggy: but it went okay?

AJ Brooks: as well as can be expected. :-) there were challenges, if I had to do it over again (as I have with faculty I've mentored), I'd do things differently

AJ Brooks: this was over 2 years ago, so a lot has happened since then in SL

Iggy: So, if you were to teach in SL again, what would you change?

AJ Brooks: well - that's hard to say as it would depend on what I was teaching. I will most likely never teach another writing class again, since I've moved on from that focus in my studies

Iggy: that's too bad--we need good writing teachers!

AJ Brooks: :-)

AJ Brooks: thx

Iggy: Let's reflect a bit on SL itself

AJ Brooks: ok

Iggy: you wrote the the outlook was good for VWs in your article

Iggy: what has changed since then?

AJ Brooks: well - that was not about SL, it was about virtual worlds in general

Iggy: true

AJ Brooks: at the time, SL was the only major player

AJ Brooks: that has changed

Iggy: So what is the outlook for SL?

AJ Brooks: the virtual world gird is beginning to become more distributed

Iggy: That's the "Designing Worlds" topic today, btw. I won't quote you :)

AJ Brooks: Well - I think SL's future is in their own hands right now. They can continue to be an island unto them selves, and miss out on being part of a larger grid effort - truly putting them into the "AOL" type position I've been talking about for a while now

AJ Brooks: OR

AJ Brooks: they can work with those pioneers who are designing the true metaverse, one that is not proprietary

AJ Brooks: my guess is that they will NOT do the latter

Iggy: So if LL does change course

Iggy: and plays along with other grids

Iggy: what do you think they could offer that's special?

AJ Brooks: well - let me start with the premise of the question

AJ Brooks: "plays along with other grids"

Iggy: okay

AJ Brooks: this has to mean, they actual participate as an equal - and not dictate

Iggy nods

AJ Brooks: if they do, they might as well not even get involved

Iggy: other grids are growing fast, aren't they?

AJ Brooks: well - yes, but that's a bit not fair as they are "standing on the shoulders of giants" to some extent

Iggy: Are you encouraged by Philip Rosedale's return as interim CEO?

AJ Brooks: I'd like to get back to your previous question first

Iggy: sure

AJ Brooks: I think LL, right now, has the content - and they would be the most awesome "hub" place, a jumping off spot, for the other grids.

Iggy: exactly. But good content is leaving, like Greenies. They need to act fast.

AJ Brooks: as for Rosedale's return, I'm cautiously hopeful

AJ Brooks: but I think this ship is headed in a direction, and Rosedale is probably not inclined to change that direction

AJ Brooks: I just hope he brings a bit more humanity to this grid

AJ Brooks: its been lacking it since he turned things over

Iggy: agreed...what could he do for educators?

AJ Brooks: I'm not sure he can do anything - except perhaps slow down the bloodflow

AJ Brooks: if he makes nice, the exodus will not be AS swift

AJ Brooks: but educators are pioneers, and they've seen their community attacked over and over again

Iggy: what do you think is driving that exodus? Pricing? Something else?

AJ Brooks: well - I think the EDU community has grown, and now feels constrained

AJ Brooks: I also think IP is very important to us - perhaps more so than other communities, like role play

Iggy: explain that. I tend to think of educators

Iggy: as open-sourcers, creative commons sorts

AJ Brooks: well - yes, to some extent they are - but that is when they have the choice.

AJ Brooks: some things they'll want to protect, others they will want to share

AJ Brooks: but it has to be OUR choice

Iggy: true--are you implying that the RP community has a more restrictive view of IP?

AJ Brooks: no - just different

AJ Brooks: the role of creation in RP is different

Iggy: I know they need to make money at this--at least the developers do

Iggy: like Morris Mertel, from whom I bought a lot for Usher

AJ Brooks: well - yes, there is that problem.

Iggy: he develops for fantasy and Gor RP

AJ Brooks: but you BOUGHT it from him, it is YOURS - just like a book or table you buy in the actual world

Iggy: true--and he even gave me extra stuff.

AJ Brooks: so if you want to read your book in the living room, you should be able to. Right now, you can only read you SL book in the den (or some other room)

Iggy: but I see where you are going--it's mine but I cannot use it outside SL

AJ Brooks: exactly

Iggy: that's not the case for OpenSim

AJ Brooks: i get where the creatives are coming from, they want to protect their digital rights also, I don't know what the solution is. I just know what LL has set up now is not working

AJ Brooks: The Theorist PRoject belong to MSU, not to Linden Lab

AJ Brooks: I, and a few alts, and a few others here, built that - and we can't bring it to MSU's Project Black Sun if we wanted to

Iggy: so look forward a bit. For educators, do you think these 3D immersive spaces will ever be mainstream? If so, what would it take?

AJ Brooks: mainstream? give me an example of what you would consider mainstream right now?

Iggy: At Richmond, using blogs in classes

Iggy: Blackboard

Iggy: doing digital videos

AJ Brooks: No - I don't think VWs will ever be that kind of mainstream

AJ Brooks: they will be niche, but BIG niche

Iggy: for building simulations? Or something else?

AJ Brooks: a wide variety of things, I'd imagine. Its about content, its about instructor style, its about social issues, its about class issues....

Iggy: yes...SL provides a place to study cultures

AJ Brooks: In some urban school, books are a luxury

Iggy: SL has a big community. Would it be the same if most educators went to a galaxy of grids?

AJ Brooks: That's hard to say, but I'd have to guess it would not be the "same". Then again, before we were here, what was it the "same" as. We didn't have an expectation of what the community would be like, or useful for, now we know better. As we evolve, so too shall our community

Iggy: one more question.

AJ Brooks: time's up, sorry

AJ Brooks: LOL - kidding

Iggy: LOL

Iggy: If you could change ONE thing about SL, what would it be?

AJ Brooks: hmmmm

Iggy: "your hair" is not a good answer

AJ Brooks: I'd build in a creative commons type permissions structure so we would not have this issue with content creations and ownership issues (or at least not as dire)

Iggy: that would be my #1 request, too. Even more important than the UI

Iggy: thanks, AJ!