Second Life - Day 5

Something Different

Today I tried out very different location. I went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum, as it was on the list of places to visit this week and was highly recommended. What an amazing experience!

Holocaust Memorial Museum

When you enter the museum, you are automatically greeted with the following message: 

"Welcome to Witnessing History. You are entering an environment focused on a single event – Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass). Here, you will take the role of a journalist, recalling the testimony of eyewitnesses as you investigate what happened during the November 1938 pogroms."

Because the museum puts in in the role of journalist, you are asked to explore and interact with everything you come across in order to write your findings at the end. Below are some screenshots of my journey through the museum:

^^ Where I landed after teleporting in. ^^

^^ The entrance to the museum. ^^

^^ When you enter, the curator automatically delivers a message (quoted above) to prepare you for the experience. ^^

^^ In the first room, you begin to gather information by reading the posters on the walls. ^^

^^ When you are ready, you click on the glowing book, which opens up a wall to the rest of the exhibit. ^^

^^ You are transported to the streets as they would have looked on the Kristallnacht. ^^

^^ Getting my bearings. ^^

^^ Visitors can interact with a lot of objects. Here you see a translation (left) of one of the propaganda posters (center). ^^

 ^^ By clicking on a glowing object, I was able to receive a notecard with more detailed information. ^^

^^ The notecards helped paint a picture of that night and the events leading up to it. ^^

^^ It was a very immersive and detailed experience. ^^

^^ An up-close view of some authentic photographs. ^^

^^ Exploring another room. ^^

^^ Photographs linked to eyewitness accounts. ^^

^^ After exploring the synagogue, you reach the end of the tour. ^^

^^ Visitors are asked to reflect on their experience and post it on this board. ^^

^^ The museum also has a quiet place for reflection, much like it would in the real world. ^^

^^ The museum was very detailed, right down to the quotes on the walls. ^^

^^ If you want to learn more, the poster will take take you to websites outside Second Life. ^^

Overall Thoughts

The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Second Life makes for a pretty powerful experience, not just because of the content, but also because visitors are surrounded by the aftermath of the event in a way that wouldn't be possible in a traditional museum. I think this is a far more memorable experience, and one that really makes learning come to life because visitors are responsible for gathering and piecing together information to create an understanding of what happened.

I could see a teacher sending students to come here and report their findings. The museum is designed for this kind of student-centered learning. Overall, I think the Holocaust Memorial Museum is a great example of how Second Life can work for an educational experience.