When I first heard that we would be using Second Life as a way to communicate, I was in total confusion. Once I had started actually using Second Life, it kind of reminded me of Sims because of the graphics, but the plus side is that you are able to communicate directly with others either by chat or voice. It takes a while to get used to considering the fact that I fell off the platform a couple of times while my instructor was giving directions. Overall though, I really like the idea that you can take virtual tours of museums and other historical buildings around the world because most likely I will not be able to see everything in actual real world!
Our first field trip in Second Life consisted of going to the Sistine Chapel. My first impression of the building was that it seemed to be massive but then it had this airy feeling. The visual textures on the lower part contained the Raphael Tapestries that had the paintings on fabrics hung from the walls. It gave the building a more cozy type of feeling for the lower part of the Chapel. Next I was able to fly my avatar to the ceiling to get a better view of the top part and have that experience. The lighting of the top part gave you a feeling as though it was like being in the middle of the sky floating on clouds due to the fact that the light illuminates the artwork painted on the walls and ceilings. And as you walk into the Sistine Chapel, you look straight ahead at The Last Judgement and there is a continuity from the floor up to the ceiling, drawing your eye from the bottom all the way to the top and on.
