Second Life in Education

Second life is an unprecedented three-dimensional virtual world that has countless possibilities for educators and it is clear that many are beginning to adopt its use to enhance their teaching and engage learners. Whether it’s for distance learning, to illustrate a concept, or to visit a historically significant location, the implementation of this software into curricula is exciting.

It appears as though the primary adopters of Second Life are colleges and universities. Linden Research reports that “The Open University, Harvard, Texas State, and Stanford are just a few of the many universities that have set up virtual campuses where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together.”

In fact, in an article published by the USA Today Claudia L'Amoreaux of Linden Labs is quoted saying that over 300 universities are using Second Life as an educational tool.

On the SLED blog (Second Life in Education) there are countless examples of how higher education and a few K-12 institutions are using Second Life. One noticeable use comes from the University of Arizona’s astronomy department. Students in this department created a “timeline of planet Earth” environment that visitors can “walk” through and view various exhibits from our planet’s different eras. This use is perhaps one of the best advantages of second life. It allows for interactive visualizations of class content.
Ohio State University is expanding on this capability by creating compelling, life-like visuals accompanied with soundtracks for the enhancement of class content. Theater students have constructed an automated production of Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death. Dr. Beth Kattelman claims “Visitors can now hear Poe’s story while being automatically transported through Prince Prospero’s castle to encounter the various rooms and scenes.”
Another interesting example is from the University of Central Florida. Steven Hornik, a finance and accounting professor says he uses Second Life to “engage students in what is normally a very non-engaging course.” Things such as assets, liabilities, and stockholders equity are illustrated in his virtual environment.

Besides colleges and universities, a growing number of K-12 institutions are now also beginning to implement Second Life in their curricula.
Take for example, a group known as “The Virtual Pioneers”. What started as a small group of teachers from western New York is now a global network of international teachers who belong to a ning networking site. This group uses their ning to share ideas and collaborate with others on using Second Life to enhance social studies curricula. There are currently 87 members, many of whom have posted their implementation strategies. One post discussed a virtual class whereby a guest speaker who survived the holocaust offered a presentation and told her stories.
At the June 2009 NECC (National Educational Computing Conference) the group offered a session to share their experiences in hopes of spreading the word about the educational significance of Second Life. They stated that they have used Second Life to virtually visit historically and culturally significant landmarks with their students. Some locations include the U.S. Holocaust museum, a replica of the Jamestown settlement, and the south building of Capital Hill in Washington, D.C.
Their handout can be downloaded by clicking here.

Distance learning and online education in K-12 and higher education institutions alike are also being enhanced through the use of virtual classes in Second Life. Since the software emulates face-to-face interaction, students in these virtual classes get a sense of actually being somewhere and interacting with people. Theodore Wright maintains a site dedicated to Second Life in Education. On it, he is quoted saying “avatar-based virtual world education is highly interactive, providing the same convenience of not having to travel while providing a richer, more effective and more enjoyable experience.”

Besides the above-mentioned uses and benefits, there are also a number of groups forming within Second Life that share common interests and goals who seek to share their ideas with each other and collaborate in what is known as a “community of practice”. Many of these communities posses their own virtual real estate for which to hold meetings, teach classes, or interact socially. In an article published on The Journal Jonathon Richter from the University of Oregon suggests that the true possibilities of Second Life emerge when one joins a community of practice.

Having the opportunity to explore one such community created by Boise State University, I can offer my own insight.
The group is called EdTech and the island is known as EdTech Island. It was created as a resource for teachers and includes a center for virtual educators, an amphitheater and holodeck classroom, a workshop area, and a lodge and tree house to accommodate group meetings.
The center for virtual educators is most impressive. Inside, there are many exhibits featuring information and resources for educators who want to pursue working with virtual environments in their classes. One area, known as the construction junction, offers workshops on building within Second Life.

The amphitheater is well constructed and very visually appealing. This is a fantastic area to either hold a large group class or presentation. Sizeable groups of teachers also meet here for open discussion and the sharing of ideas and trends in education.

There are several bulletin boards around the island that advertise joining the EdTech community. I did this and now can view a schedule of events such as classes and meetings that are taking place. Unfortunately, it appears as though there aren’t any significant events until August 2009. The only ones currently listed are meetings for advisory council members.

In a presentation given in March of 2009, Boise State’s Dr. Lisa Dawley reported the growth of EdTech Island since it’s creation in 2007. In just two years, the island now has:
• 8 graduate courses
• 7 instructors, multiple GAs
• Avg. 450 unique visitors per week
• Numerous guest speaker events
• “Home” to over 50 international educators
• EDTECH Community group over 1,200 members
• Sandbox, classrooms, amphitheater, and learning centers open to the public
• Professional organizational partnerships

It is definitely apparent that the main purpose of the community is to promote awareness about the uses of Second Life and technology in education. Several presentations, workshops, group discussions, and classes offered by field experts take place and anyone can show up and sit in on them. This video depicts a few of them actually happening.

In closing, it is worth mentioning an important Second Life resource for educators. The Second Life in Education Wiki includes many more examples of creative uses of the software in education. So many in fact, that the list spans four long web pages.