New Media: Second Life

Using Second Life for Education

• Many universities and educational institutions are already using Second Life, such as UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC-Charlotte, Duke, Elon, Clemson, Harvard, Stanford, Penn State, Iowa State, MIT, Ohio State, Ohio University, Notre Dame, Louisville, Texas A&M, and on and on.
  
  Currently, the total is more than 175 colleges and universities plus numerous libraries and library systems, museums, and educational organizations such as NMC, ISTE, NECC, AECT, Eduserv, Global Kids, OLN, Sloan and many more.    list
  
  
• The number of e-learning courses now being taught in Second Life are at least in the hundreds if not in the thousands. There are complete courses delivered entirely in SL as well as auxiliary content and research sites in support of traditional classrooms.
  
  
• We hear "boring" and "dry" frequently among today's students when they talk about their experiences in traditional classrooms.
  
  These digital natives have been raised on the Internet and interactive games, and they have expectations that are not met entirely by the current "skill and drill" system of learning in a traditional classroom.
  
  They bring to class new and different attitudes toward education, along with their broad array of technological skills.
  
  They ask for more than the traditional lecture format. They want authentic interactive educational experiences, like those they have found on the Internet and in video games.
  
  By the way, they are not looking for an easier path. On the contrary, they want greater cognitive challenges.
  
  
• Second Life provides a unique flexible platform for educators interested in distance learning, computer supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and corporate training.
  
  
• It's not difficult to create a safe environment to enhance experiential learning, allowing individual students to practice skills, conduct research, simulate the real world, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes.
  
  
• Students and educators can work together in Second Life from anywhere in the world as part of this globally networked virtual classroom environment.
  
  
• Most disciplines can imagine teaching spaces for their content in the virtual world. Using Second Life as a supplement to traditional classroom environments also provides new opportunities for enriching an existing curriculum.