Virtual Worlds in Education

I waited a little while to post this blog because I really wanted to understand what these virtual worlds were all about. Now that I have played around in Second Life several times, I think I get what all the hype is about. Before, I thought it was just like a silly video game where people walked around and slapped each other. Now, I realize that there is so much more to it. And although there is a LOT of trouble to get into there (I have already removed clothing and found cigars and beer), there is a whole ton of valuable resources in Second Life. You can visit schools, museums, and other places that actually have educational value. Even just being there in Second Life teaches a lot of technological skills. There are elements of pretty much every school subject there, and lots of cool (and really smart) people there to talk to. I love the idea of being able to simulate real places and situations without the permanence and consequences of real life. The articles about using Second Life to train medical students and disaster responders made me realize that there is a wealth of learning opportunities out there that could really only exist in a place like Second Life.

This article I found on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html talks about how Second Life can build a sense of community and help students understand international international perspectives. I also found a really cool (and funny) NPR program with Michael Demers, a professor at New Mexico State University, who holds classes in Second Life. (The host, Scott Simon, says his avatar looks like Anderson Cooper in a wetsuit) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101580485
There is also a really interesting article on Read Write Web - http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/shouldnt_schools_have_embraced_second_life_by_now.php that talks about some of the recent educational additions to Second Life, and how many teachers still have not adopted it for use in their classrooms. If I end up teaching some day, I will definitely hold classes in Second Life. For one thing, my Avatar always looks super hot, even if I'm at home in my jammies. And more importantly, I think the sense of community and interaction with diverse people and places are essential elements of an interesting and meaningful class.