Learning First in Second Life

So universities are moving into Second Life. Up to 15 UK universities are known to have purchased land there. Why?

There are advantages to studying in a virtual world. For one, interaction in Second Life gets beyond the stale and limited 'communication technologies' of chat rooms, message boards and texts. Which is why Harvard has set up a Second Life courtroom where law students can practice their advocacy skills.

And you get to look how you want - because when you create your Second Life avatar, you can choose your gender, age, race and shape. Handicaps in real life - whether real or imagined - do not show on Second Life. It's your mind that matters.

Physical space doesn't matter - you can visit anywhere anytime. You can build 3-d structures to explore architectural or engineering features. And if you're interested in a niche subject that has limited face-to-face learning opportunities, you can connect online with other learners scattered across the First Life globe.

Lecturers like the fact they can actually 'see' who's involved in the learning, and who's snoozing at the back of the class (although the idea of recreating the not awfully successful lecturing model in Second Life wouldn't be the first learning model I'd choose).

Of course it's not all straightfoward - there are the usual technological constraints at the moment (you'll have get yourself some powerful computer kit and a whole lot of bandwidth).

Under current thinking, it's probable that universities will create their own worlds, where learning can happen under their control (just what are the copyright laws in Second Life?). And I think that this will negate one of the most important aspects of Second Life - sheer scale of people from all across the world sharing one space.

And of course we have to wonder will we end up with a group of Second Lifers whose social skills in the virtual world are impeccable, but who can't remember how to shake someone's hand in real life?

Find out more at this Guardian article.