Second Life Collaborative Learning

Monday, April 23, 2012 |

Second Life may be referred by some as a game, howbeit, of itself, Second Life actually is not a game. It is a virtual world without theme, a virtual canvas for creativity, not inherently based in mock war such as video games.

With this current advent of virtual world technology, there now exist enhanced and expanded learning opportunities with an environment to relate to.

Even up to present, much of distance learning has been made time convenient but impersonal. 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. For such, many students would most gladly make the scheduled time for the virtual classroom.

Whether used for distance or classroom learning, the benefits of this rapidly expanding and adaptable virtual technology become manifest. The most common disadvantages that have existed in online education are now overcome. Educators are not slow to step into, embrace this present, simple to use, interpersonal, and further developing media.

Advantages to Education

Collaboration: You can contact people of the same field of interest from around the world.
Without boundaries: You can work with people without boundaries (neither technical or geographical).
Interactivity: It’s better than a video conference because you can use videos, presentations, images and weblinks at the same time in one place. It means you can easily create links between in-world activity and real-world information resources.
Support: If you’re a patient, you can easily find people dealing with the same problems. You can meet them virtually, discuss your problems, and listen to doctors attending in SL.
Learning: In some fields, there are just a few experts and it’s far not simple to find them in real. But in SL, it becomes possible by presentations and e-learning tools. You can also use tutorials.
Search: You can do PubMed searches or you can browse among the many books of the virtual libraries.

Examples

Ann Myers Medical Center: a virtual medical training center where medical education gets a unique opportunity to find new ways in training medical students.