For the computer-illiterate, a class about computer science and programming may sound daunting. Python, Java and C may go over the heads of students taking Atlas Director and Professor John Bennett’s “Virtual Worlds: An Introduction to Computer Science.” But with the use of Second Life, a seemingly jumbled mess of semicolons and brackets in sophisticated coding quickly becomes understood and engaging for students.
Second Life, developed by Linden Labs, gives users an avatar to explore an ever-increasing world made by the users themselves and allows students to become immersed in a world that they create while learning the basics of programming.
Professor Bennett's in-game avatar, Eamon Innis, surveys his surroundings in Second Life (Courtesy John Bennett)
Unlike games like World of Warcraft, where all content is created by the game designers, Bennett said Second Life allows users to create their own content using Linden Scripting Language (LSL) and a limitless imagination.
“If I want to fish in Second Life, I actually have to build a dock, then a fishing pole, and then fish to catch,” Bennett said.
To cast a line or catch a fish, you need a script. Using LSL, students in Bennett’s class create an algorithm—or basic set of instructions—to give objects life.
“Computer scientists have been trying to improve the way we introduce computer science to aspiring students for a long time,” Bennett said. “The traditional model is you start with simple stuff, very text-oriented. There’s a lot of debate as to what language should be introduced first and there are a lot of folks that are almost dogmatic about saying ‘You have to do this specific programming language first.’”
Bennett said he’s a proponent of computer-language neutrality.
“So if you want a car in Second Life, it’s fairly easy to make something that looks like a car, but to make it act like a car you have to drop a program into it that makes it act like a car. The basic idea is to provide that creative approach to programming.”
Bennett has been teaching what he calls his “experiment” for more than four years, and said that, so far, it’s been a success.
“The majority of my students are non-science majors,” Bennett said. “There are no prerequisites. Most of the students that I have in class have used their computer to maybe write a paper, but they’ve never seen a program until they walk in the door.”
Jordan Bojorquez, a 21-year-old senior and engineering and economics major, said he took the class last semester and enjoyed it despite having no prior knowledge about programming.
“It’s a really strange experience when your homework requires you to play in this virtual world,” Bojorquez said. “Our first assignment was to build an operational drawbridge. I thought mine was pretty good until I saw what other student’s had made: one resembled the Golden Gate Bridge; another was a bridge surrounded by a moat with alligators in it.”
Despite the majority of students in Bennett’s class having little programming experience, Bennett said they tend to pick up on things pretty quickly.
“The reason you see those really creative things is that people get into it and want to create more,” Bennett said. “They find examples of something they like and they modify those examples or create their own.”
A map of the 64 islands that have been added to Professor Bennett's virtual world classroom. At the top right is a sandbox where students submit their virtual creations (Courtesy John Bennett)
Bennett said the work students put into their virtual projects often exceeds his initial expectations.
“Every year and every month several students do things that are amazing,” he said. “One of the neat things about people who are not engineers or scientists is they don’t have that concept about what is possible and what is not. They do extremely creative things that you might not normally think of.”
Bennett is always working on ways to improve the experience of his class, including adding over 60 new islands to his virtual world classroom. Prior to the change, Bennett bought virtual land through Linden Labs using an educational discount. Recently, Linden Labs did away with their discount, raising the price of the land Bennett uses to teach and interact with students.
“Two years ago we experimented with OpenSim—an open source Second Life emulator—and we were able to build a whole archipelago of 64 islands that provide more space,” he said.
In addition to providing digital acreage for his students to experiment, by using the free open-source emulator, Atlas saves approximately $4,000 a year in maintaining the virtual land, Bennett said.
Ultimately, Bennett said he wants to make computer science both relevant and interesting to those who may not be adept in programming languages.
“If your first course in programming engages students and isn’t as dry as dirt, you’re more likely to have people continue in the major and attract a more diverse class.”
Students show off their creations (Courtesy John Bennett)
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Sebastian Murdock at Sebastian.murdock@colorado.edu.
