Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Online Higher Education in Second Life?

Posted by Cliff on from the virtual-school-rooms dept.

XxtraLarGe asks: "As both a technician for my college's Distance Learning program and as an avid gamer, I have been tasked with investigating Second Life as a possible way for us to extend and enhance our online classes. I've done a lot of research, reading about what other schools have done. While I personally think it is a really cool idea, I am somewhat skeptical of the actual practicality and value of what seems to be a glorified chat room. I'd like to hear from others about their education experience in Second Life, particularly if you've been involved in setting up any online classes or taken any online classes. What sort of training would be required for the faculty, and is it really worth it?"

2 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Does your school want to be taken seriously? by Kangburra · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't see why this has been modded down.

    Second life is a game, education is not. Get the education through known (quantifiable) channels before playing with games.

    Employers can be finicky about all aspects of your education, someone who gamed their diploma will struggle even if they are the best for the job.

    --
    Common sense is not so common
  2. Second Life is what YOU make it by Wax_and_Wane · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Having taken part in the initial beta of the Second Life voice client starting two weeks ago, I can say that when voice capabilities come to SL they will certainly make it more useful to educational purposes. The system they are testing already works well and allows for 3D stereo sound. I realize that this alone does not make it perfect for education, but it does mean that it will not simply be a "glorified chat room" much longer.

    I think attempting to bring learning systems to SL does have merit. The tools actually are shaping up and aside from the universities that are already in SL, I know of a few other educational offerings that are being developed now that could demonstrate value for educators and students.

    I think that this type of immersive long-distance multiuser education is here to stay. Whether it will gain public acceptance during the platform life cycle of Second Life really depends on whether innovative educators keep coming into the virtual world prepared to push it forward. So if you are looking for a polished educational software platform to set up and get rolling quickly, then SL is not for you yet. On the other hand, if you want to be a pioneer and expand your thinking on how virtual worlds can fascilitate education then you should invest a little funding in SL and see what you can make of it.