The Second Life Librarian Shadow Fugazi has created an
American Memory Exhibit on Info Island featuring a larger than life Declaration of Independence. The exhibit draws from the Library of Congress's
American Memory division, which provides free access to "written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps and sheet music that document the American experience."
It's a great effort. However I think this exhibit does not draw upon the full potential for virtual worlds as educational tools.
The exhibit features an enlarged version of the Declaration of Independence, with a linked notecard with the full text as well as an MP3 file of a voice actor reading out the document. There's a selection of related documents on the first minting of US currency, the meeting of the Constitutional Congress, and the events that led up to the Declaration. Neat stuff.
That said, I have to ask how does porting these texts to a virtual environment enhance citizen's understanding and appreciation of their import? Are there other ways that this could be presented that leverage more of the strengths of immersive 3D spaces?...
More at
rikomatic.com...