Friday, March 28, 2008

Thing # 15 - Online Games and Libraries

I actually tried both Puzzle Pirates and Second Life. It was a little odd getting used to the chat portion of the programs since I have not had a lot of exposure to chat, but I imagine the speed and ability to multi-task would become second nature the more one uses the program. The only other odd thing, especially with Second Life, was the movement of the screen as the avatar walked, drove a car, or flew. I sometimes have trouble with moving screens. I have often tried to watch my kids as they play video games and find the jerky movement can lead to some headaches. Probably limiting elongated periods of time spent on Second Life would help this difficulty.

As to the usability in the library setting, I think it can be another tool to reach out to today's generation of learners. Today's learners are often very savvy with online programs. Multi-tasking is second nature to them. My daughter often is IMing, watching a video, and playing a game all at one time on the computer. It sometimes boggles the mind of us "older folks." The bottom line is - if this is where the next generation of learners conglomerate, this is where we should be offering our services.

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