Second Life - Virtual World

Second life is a virtual world populated by avatars. The best way I know how to describe an avatar is that it is a virtual you. It is whoever you want to be. You can design the avatar to look like you and act like you. You can also create the avatar to be a completely fictional character.  The virtual world that you live in has everything our real world does; movies, real money, plays, stores, banks, real-estate, and education.  “About nine million avatars reportedly interact on this digital landscape, in which dozens of colleges from around the world have set up islands.” (Bugeja, 2007)

The information out there on virtual worlds, like Second Life, is endless. And there is quite a bit on Second Life as a tool in education and training. Imagine if you will, instead of all of us sitting at home on Wimba, we all sit at home but instead we are in Second Life.  “In fact, participants in virtual meetings tend to hang around after the formal part of the meeting is over, to continue a conversation or to brainstorm a solution to a problem—something that is usually not seen in traditional remote conferences. Best of all, the participants can be wearing their pajamas as their avatars are walking around in business attire.”  (Bates 2008)

(Cisco, 2007)

Montana State and Ohio University are just two of the Higher Ed institutions that have ventured into the world of Second Life education. However, there is some debate surrounding issues of harassment and virtual bullying. While in an actual location it is easier to monitor these problems. In a virtual world, with very few checks and balances, there seems to be higher risk. While the creators of Second Life may not be held to very high standards, higher educational facilities certainly are.  (Bugeja, 2007)

It will be interesting to watch where Second Life and virtual worlds lead our educational system. “While it doesn't yet engage me enough for me to consider it my second life, I think of Second Life as a crude example of what the internet will soon become.” (Bates, 2008)

This could be very useful with health classes that cover drug or alcohol abuse, emotional/mental health, and how to properly communicate with others.  This could allow them to see how bad some decisions or situations they could be in are dangerous.  However, this could also backfire and promote the student to doing harmful things.  It would need to be monitored more to ensure this method is safe and productive in a classroom.

Bates, Mary Ellen (2008, 9, 4). The Three- Dimensional Internet. E Content, Retrieved 10/27/2008, from http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Column/Info-Pro/The-Three-Dimensional-Internet-50276.htm

Bugeja, Michael J. (2007, 9, 14). Second Thoughts about Second Life. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 54, Retrieved 10/28/2008, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ778625&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ778625

Bugeja, Michael J. (2007, 11, 16). Second Life, Revisited. from The Chronicle of Higher Education, 54, Retrieved 10/28/2008, from http://wf2dnvr9.webfeat.org/Gs0vK116/url=http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf19_22/pdf/2008/EDD/01Feb08/31169488.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=31169488&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLr40SeqLY4zdnyOLCmrlCeqLBSsau4SbeWxWXSAAAA&ContentCustomer=&S=R&D=aph

Cisco, (2007, 1). Cisco. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from Cisco Web site: http://newsroom.cisco.com/images/CES_second_life_KoolAid_001.jpg