According to the Second Life (SL) website (2009), SL is a virtual world. This virtual world is built and added to by its members. Membership to this site is free, however people can upgrade their account by paying for a membership, which provides various benefits. SL is now being looked at and used for education. CNN’s Wong (2006) stated that, “ A growing number of educators are getting caught up in the wave. More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote learning” (para. 4). So how can SL be used for education?
Mesko (2007), posted a blog stating a variety of ways in which SL can be used in education. People can collaborate with others in the same field or subject all over the world. SL can be used to hold discussions about various topics. It can also be used for support amongst educators. They can discuss issues they are having and figure out ways to solve these problems. This post also provides specific examples of how SL is being used in education.
Kay (n.d.) has developed a list of examples of how education is and can use SL as a learning tool. One main point that Kay makes about how students can use SL is that they can be active in their own learning. The way that SL works, also students to actually be engaged in their learning by being able to create and build their own learning activities.
Linden Lab research (2009), which is directly connected and works through SL, Briefly describes how a virtual environment can be used to develop new ways of learning. It demonstrates that SL is being used by a variety of universities to create virtual campuses for their students. This is “… where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together” (Linden Lab, 2009). It also has found that SL can be a good professional development tool for educators.
xxArete2xx (2007), has created a YouTube video that describes several of the ways that SL can be used for education. For literature, theater, and humanities, SL can be used for role-playing, and creating and performing plays. For art students, they can explore museums as well as create their own artwork. It can be a great platform for studying color and design for art. For a history class, a teacher can create a simulation of an ancient culture for the students to explore and experience. These are just a few specific examples of how education can be enhanced by SL that Arete describes in the YouTube video.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a, “… trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation” (ISTE website, 2003, About Section, para. 1). This organization has developed a group within SL for continued support of education. They provide support and assistance to educators who are new to SL. The have a variety of resources, including landmarks of the various educational sites with in SL. They also have social gatherings that allow educators to meet and discuss various topics. They also provide a series of lectures on a variety of topics. Being part of the group allows you to be informed of all events and get any assistance needed.
It is apparent that virtual worlds and SL are potentially a new force in education. These sites and ISTE group within SL provide a variety of examples of how to use SL in education. The resources below also provide a variety of information and resources for SL in education.
References:
The International Society for Technology in Education. (2003). About us. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_ISTE
Kay, J. (n.d.). Educational uses for second life. Message posted to Second Life in Education: http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses
Linden Lab. (2009). Virtual environments enable new models of learning. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world
Mesko, B. (2007, September 19). How and why to use second life for education. Message posted to Science Roll: http://scienceroll.com/2007/09/19/how-and-why-to-use-second-life-for-education/
Wong, G. (2006, November 14). Educators explore ‘second life’ online. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from CNN.com website: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html
xxArete2xx. (2007, May 29). Education in second life: explore the possibilities. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag
Resources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag
http://scienceroll.com/2007/09/19/how-and-why-to-use-second-life-for-education/
http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses
http://www.ibritt.com/resources/dc_secondlife.htm
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