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Virtual Worlds & Second Life
What is it? 
A virtual world is a computer simulated environment in which users interact via a graphical image of a user, called an avatar. Virtual worlds are usually similar to the real world and include gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time action, and communication. The term virtual world can apply to gaming communities such as role playing games, or can simply refer to virtual worlds in which users interact with one another similarly to the real world. A popular example of this is Second Life.
Second Life is an internet-based virtual world in which users, or “residents,” interact with each other through avatars thus creating a social network. The users can build a house or business, explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in activities, watch concerts, create new and unique creatures, and so on.
Second life also includes a fully integrated economy thus allowing users to convert real money to the Second life currency in order to buy or sell goods and services.
Virtual Worlds & Second Life
What are the educational uses and benefits?
- Encourages communication among peer groups.
- Engages students who may otherwise not participate.
- Reflects perceptions and experiences of the student.
- Encourages students to interact socially to discuss strategies, share experiences, provide encouragement, and so on.
- Second life is open ended and changes based on the participants thus eliminating the constraints of typical learning games.
- Encourages and facilitates collaborative learning.
- Has an in depth and complicated economies in which students are exposed to and can participate in thus simulating the experiences of business leaders, entrepreneurs, real estate brokers, economists, and so on.
- Second Life users have created a wealth of morality issues on which students can observe and discuss including marriage and relationships, death and dying, race, religion, and so on.
- Connects students to other universities, businesses, employers, students, and individuals.
Virtual Worlds & Second Life
How do I get started?
The following wiki article from the New Media Consortium discusses getting started with Second Life in reference to ht NMC campus. This article provides an excellent example of how to get started in Second Life.
Virtual Worlds & Second Life
Where can I learn more?
- 101 Uses for Second Life in the College Classroom PDF: An article on using Second Life.
- The Avatars of Research: An article from The Chronicle of Higher Education on the growing popularity of Second Life as a teaching tool.
- Getting Started in Second Life: A wiki article from the New Media Consortium.
- NMC Campus: Seriously Engaging: A video about the use of Second Life for the New Media Consortium Campus.
- Second Life: The Second Life homepage.
- Second Life Articles: A compilation of articles the use of Second Life in Education.
- Second Life Education: Information on using Second Life for educational purposes written by Second Life.
- Second Life Education FAQ: Questions about using Second Life in teaching.
- Second Life – The Educational Possibilities of a Massively Multiplayer Virtual World: The Transcript of an EDUCAUSE Presentation.
- Teaching in Second Life: An interview with Sarah Robbins, an instructor at Ball State University, about her experience in teaching English classes via the Second Life virtual world.
- Wikipedia – Second Life: A detailed explanation and resources about Second Life.
- Wikipedia – Virtual Worlds: A detailed explanation and examples of Virtual Worlds.
