General Tools

From Virtual Worlds

• Use Second Life tools to facilitate multichannel collaboration (simultaneous use of voice, chat, and instant messaging.)
• Create visual tools, taking advantage of the Second Life environment.
• Interactive tools that trainees can operate by themselves are a great way to increase their understanding, participation, and buy-in
• Use tools such as a whiteboard for feedback, as well as interactivity.
• In a learning program such as communications, sales, leadership, or diversity training that deals with interaction between people, robots can be very useful as a part of a self-study unit. During an initial session, the instructor helps trainees to outline the task and sets up benchmarks and requirements. After an orientation lesson led by an instructor--which can be held in class, as a webinar, or in Second Life--trainees can log in and run the simulation as many times as they need to become comfortable with their assignment.
• Use to the fullest the technological advantages of virtual worlds such as:
  • The ability to create mind maps and charts as a result of a brainstorming meeting
  • The ability to demonstrate and alter 3-D models
  • The ability to record/produce minutes of virtual meetings
• Various research studies show that 60 to 90 percent of information that a person receives during communication comes from nonverbal cues. Second Life simulations greatly benefit from usage of animated gestures and sounds that correspond closely to body language, facial expressions, and sounds in real life. Providing appropriate nonverbal cues along with verbal response allows you to create immersive simulations uniquely fit for "soft skills" training.