Location: Here and There in the Metaverse
by Bridget K, Guest Writer

Iggy’s Note: I’m pleased to run this blog by my student, who has been exploring the Metaverse with her classmates in a first-year writing course. She wrote this entry in a class journal that is not shared, and she gave me permission to publish it here. For some time, I’ve been thinking that the negative reaction by Cornell student AJ Tan might not be representative of this age-group of students.  My class, so far, has engaged well in SL but they’ve had the benefit of my hard lessons from two prior classes in which students did not have one-on-one orientation or a sequence of assignments that combine skill-building tasks with course content.

Second Life is more than a “gaming” world; it can also be used for educational purposes.  21st century education is developing to fit the needs and interests of an age where electronics plays a huge part.  Second Life is one of these “educational developments,” where the world of education is being transformed by this interactive virtual world.

Since “over 815 billion dollars is spent on education per year in the United States,” (Houck) the way educators present information to students is something that is continually looked at.  As time changes, so do the attitudes of the people.  The new “gaming” population sees education as “ineffective, irrelevant, and unproductive” (Houck).

Second Life provides a unique educational setting for students.  Learners become immersed in their own education and in the environment he or she is in (“National Education Technology Plan”).  Second Life provides the educational tool of role-playing.  For example, people are able to put on a Shakespearean play, wearing costumes from that period.  Learners in Second Life can visit ancient Rome and become gladiators of the time.  Holidays of ancient Rome can also be experienced (“Understanding Learning Archetypes”).

Another tool Second Life offers is guided tours.  Learners can take a tour through the inside of a Dell computer or though the Sistine Chapel.  All of this is possible without taking a step outside the real life classroom.  Scavenger hunts are another educational tool, where people can interact with one another and discuss what they encounter.  Learners can “co-create,” learning by doing. They can build an object or even an environment, giving them a true sense of being there (“Understanding Learning Archetypes”).

Virtual worlds like Second Life allow learners to “connect and communicate in a way that enhances his or her ability to understand the feelings and emotions of people from completely different backgrounds” (Houck).  Professional networking is available in Second Life.  At both corporate sites like IBM or on virtual college campuses,  real life meetings can be held, teachers can show power point presentations to students, and students can save lectures from teachers and take quizzes, which are sent back to the learning management center where they are graded.

This list of educational purposes of Second Life does not stop with these things mentioned above.  As Second Life continues to grow, so do its educational tools. I believe virtual worlds like Second Life will benefit our educational system if used correctly.  There should be a balance between real world educational tools and virtual world educational tools.

Works Cited/Further Resources

Houck, Ruth. “Educational Uses of Second Life”.10 Aug. 2007. YouTube. 18 Sept.  2008.

“National Education Technology Plan.” 24 March 2006. U.S. Department of Education. 18 Sept. 2008.

“Understanding Learning Archetypes for 3D Learning”. 2008. Tangient LLC. 18 Sept.  2008.

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