July 2007 — News
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Second Life: Do You Need One? (Part 3)
Being active in Second Life puts me into the environment and culture of my digital learners. I regularly interact with my students on our DeVry island, helping them with projects they have initiated, talking about program issues, career plans, and dreams. The Second Life environment is "their" turf, and it allows me to have a relationship with them that hasn't been possible in "my" environment of traditional offices and classrooms.
On the downside, being a vocal advocate of Second Life and similar new technologies has led to some strained relationships with some colleagues and educational leaders. The shift taking place with these learning modalities calls for some mental exercise that many I work with are not wanting to engage in. They have worked very hard to create the position they are in and the academic structure that supports it, and the thought of somehow changing that structure and their roles is just not favored by them. But this is not a new experience. I faced the same situation during my years of working with Learning College and the Learning Centered approach. Change is tough.
AJ: What are the strengths you perceive with using SL as an educational tool? Weaknesses?
VB: Strengths:
- The potential for personal creativity;
- Intrinsic motivation of learners (and instructors);
- The ability to visualize difficult concepts;
- The 24/7 access with people from all corners of the globe and all fields ... a leveling of access to expertise and an actual redefining of "expertise." I see students being viewed as the experts in this environment, with smart instructors becoming the learner and reaching out to their students. Wow!
- The ability to create real-world models and practices to test skills and abilities;
- The potential of SL as a meaningful portfolio tool for academics;
- The ability of Second Life to introduce traditional educators (traditional anyone) to a culture they do not understand and are terrified of.
Weaknesses:
- The high technology requirements for access: hardware and bandwidth;
- The lack of a clear "learning process" for new residents, especially those unfamiliar to the digital environment;
- The typical "independent" nature of educators: little sharing of real learning and the tendency to keep the best ideas to yourself in the hope that they will turn into something worth money (egos);
- The current trend of educators wanting to "standardize" everything and create "certification" for educators in Second Life. While I understand the desire for such, it brings the traditional practices of academics into an environment which calls for a full transformation of all practices. Any such standards or certification will put limits upon the real potential of this environment. We just have to relax, trust, and learn.
AJ: What technical, economic, pedagogical, legal, and societal concerns do you have for using SL or any virtual world as an educational tool?
