Identify what you think of the overall usability of Second Life and its possibilities in your future.
Second Life appears to good tool to use to connect learners in a distance education course in higher education, because it is a free platform for engage in multi-directional audio conversation as opposed to having to pay for Skype premium or Adobe Connect . It also is useful because it provides some visual reference, although it can also be distracting to learning when students have the ability to fly up in the air and teleport to other worlds. After enough use, the "newness" of flight and other fun things in Second Life would probably wear off and learners would focus on the learning part. The virtual blackboards/presentation screens in Second Life can also be effectively utilized for presentations and lectures.
As a secondary level social studies educator, I do not see myself using Second Life due to two issues: 1.) it would be rrrrreeealllly easy for middle and high school students to be completely off task in Second Life; and 2.) There is a lot of creeps and adult oriented places in Second Life that would endanger students and my career, and these "creeps" would have an open platform to access children on. So unless a new, safe, students-only "Second School" is developed, I won't be using it.
I sure don't mind having my college courses on the platform, however! How else could I come to class dressed as a 12 foot tall monster with tree bark for skin!?! Oh, fun.
Tree bark for skin?
ReplyDeleteYes, there are some things in SL that preclude its use with teens. There was once a Teen Grid that allowed students under carefully guarded circumstances. Unfortunately, they stopped it due to financial difficulties.
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