Second Life

A Virtual World with Endless Possibilities

I've always been a techie.  My father was a robotics engineer at the time and introduced me to computer hardware at an early age.  I grew up playing video games, including educational ones such as Carmen Sandiego.  Some wonder why video games have so much appeal to young people.  As a current, avid gamer who logs many hours weekly playing games in many genres, I will try to answer this.  The best games are challenging.  They offer rewards for completing this challenge.  There is always something out of reach, something to strive for.  Think about one of the most classic games, Super Mario Bros.  You get coins for smashing blocks, extra lives for coins, and points for completing levels under the time limit.  The ultimate goal?  To save the princess, of course!

At a recent conference, the presenter mentioned video games as a teaching tool and this brought to my attention why children sometimes struggle to stay motivated in school.  Think about a child assigned reading homework every night.  They have a book assigned to them and are asked to read 3 chapters a night.  They may be thinking - What is the point?  What do I gain from this?  Now, they look toward their TV where the newest video game is waiting to be turned on.  One you may have heard of is called Skyrim.  The child now has a quest, something to discover, treasure waiting in a dark cave filled with monsters.  There is challenge, reward, intrigue, engagement, all in one place.  The world changes constantly and they are forced to think quick, apply the skills that they've learned, and adapt to new scenarios.  They know success is possible because the goal is clear.  Rewards are frequent.

My point is that video games provide a stimulating environment with opportunities for success.  They offer challenges and rewards.  The goals are clear and obtainable, but only when the player applies the skills they learn by playing.  It's no wonder video games are so popular.  Did you know Gamestop, the largest video games retailer, makes over $1 billion dollars each quarter year? 

In high school I heard a lot about Second Life.  I even had some friends join in to different communities on it.  I even remember hearing news stories about addictions to it.  A negative image had been painted in my head, so I steered clear of it.  Only in a distance education course at NC State did it present itself again to me.  Then I realized just how much it had evolved. 

It really is incredible how it is being used on an educational level.  The strengths speak to much of what I said before about video games.  A dynamic environment can be created, complete with video and audio.  Interactions and scripts can be created so students can manipulate their world to learn what may be difficult to set up in real-life.  Avatars can be changed to suit the needs of the class.  Role-playing a court case?  Dress in tailored suits!  The presentation that Amanda Robertson and Cathy Philips gave showed some very elaborate learning spaces.  The Wolflands hub offers students a great starting point with tutorials in a comfortable setting.  I was most impressed with Genome Island, which offered participants the chance to explore the parts of a living cell. 

A virtual environment can take some time to create.  Robertson mentioned that Wolflands took around 9 months to initially create and it is constantly being modified.  The initial work may be daunting for instructors new to the task.  Luckily, there are plenty of free tutorials online to assist.  Educators can also purchase buildings, plants, and anything else they need to create a unique learning environment.  Users in the Second Life world spend a lot of time creating these things for others to use.  Students can even customize the space, as with Wolflands.  Technical limitations may also be a factor.  Most modern computers and laptops should be able to render the world.  A high speed connection is required for streaming media to the world, and it appeared in the presentation that a wired connection would be preferable.  Users may experience a steep initial learning curve, especially if they are unfamilar with some aspects of video games, such as a HUD, inventory, and avatars.

Second Life certainly appeals to me as a gamer.  It is great to see this virtual environment being explored for educational purposes.  Although there is a heavy front-end learning curve and prep time, it appears the pros certainly outweigh the cons.  Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to participate in a class through Second Life.  I'd be more than willing to try it, though.  Perhaps in the future more classes will be hosted in this digital world.  Look for my avatar to feature very distinct red overalls.