Tom Blume, associate professor in the Counseling department in the School of Education and Human Services, was recently interviewed in "Second Life", a 3D virtual world where users can socialize, customize an avatar, connect and create using free voice and text chat.
On September 1, 2010, John Wilson, a counselor in the U.K., hosted Blume in the virtual studio at Online Events in the virtual world of Second Life. The interview was broadcast on the Internet, viewed by an international audience including faculty and students at Oakland University. The main topic discussed was Identity Renegotiation, Blume’s theory that views human life as a process of constantly balancing multiple identities. This theory, in which identities are described as interpersonal and negotiated rather than internal and achieved, has significant implication for educators, counselors, parents, and managers. Blume has developed a counseling approach based on the theory of Identity Renegotiation.
The interview was Blume’s second professional appearance in "Second Life". “My avatar can give presentations while I sit in my office; for the presenter and the audience there is a sense of being connected.” said Blume. In October 2009, Blume was a presenter at the first Counseling Education in Second Life conference. His talk, “Negotiating identity on the virtual playground,” addressed the power of play in personal change processes. He portrayed "Second Life" as a “playground” where participants create avatars that are often lifelike but can also represent identities that their creators have little opportunity to explore in their daily lives. He told his audience of counselors that they should consider the possibility that "Second Life" can be a positive force in people’s lives.
Oakland University is one of many universities which have a virtual presence in "Second Life". Professors and students use the virtual branch campus for instruction and research. According to Blume, “virtual conferences and interviews help people from around the world into greater contact and facilitate understanding.”
A video clip of the interview with John Wilson is available on YouTube. To view the interview, click on youtube.com/watch?v=SNmpi_jK9sI
To see a portion of the 2009 conference presentation, click on youtube.com/watch?v=qFSgs4k_hok