Ph.D. Problem Space

I remember laughing when my colleague, who is a computer science professor and a long-time online game player, suggested that I look at the Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplay Game (MMORPG) known as Second Life as part of my research into online learning. After months of hounding and my protests that I didn’t have the time to spend “playing,” I relented and created an account over a three-day weekend to see what this virtual environment was all about. To say I didn’t sleep or eat for three days would be an understatement. Not only didn’t I sleep or eat, I was so immersed in the environment that I lost all sense of time. Unlike other virtual games where there is a clear objective, path to advanced standing, and award attainment, Second Life is a world created by members. As such, it reflects the collective culture and value system of its inhabitants–good or bad. With just over 9 million members (with 35 to 40 thousand logged in at any one time), Second Life has become a model of social networking, allowing any numbers of activities (including education) to be conducted within its boundaries.

     My passions revolve around human behavior in virtual worlds. The best way I can explain this to people is to tell them that I was raised on the East Coast during a very racially charged period of time in our country. The prejudice I was raised with was simple. My goal as an adult was to put those influences behind me and treat everyone equally. But a funny thing happened in my virtual world; I had to do business with people who chose to become Fairies, undead (who are completely white with black lips, hair fingernails, etc.), and Furries (who look like animals but have peculiar sexual practices).  How do I respond to a person who had chosen to be a vampire, with fangs that drip blood? What is behind that choice? After a year of this type of immersion into the identity choices of others, I can honestly say I have become blind to what makes us different; instead I have discovered what makes us the same.

    As part of the Educational Leadership and Development program at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, my hope is to examine issues of Identity and Culture in virtual worlds and answer the questions, (a) What real life factors influence the crafting of identity for performers in virtual worlds, (b) Is there a relationship between a performer’s virtual identity and the level of embeddedness and interplay with real life, and (c) How is real life identity influenced as a result of virtual world participation?