Second Life

It was announced Monday June 8th, that Washington State University will expand their distance degree programs by using a virtual program called Second Life.
WSU has created a three dimensional campus replica, which will be used all around the world by people affiliated with the school. Far away students and teachers can communicate effectively, despite the geographical separation. This program can be used anywhere in the world as long as the local computer has Second Life downloaded, making the distant degree programs more effective and state-of-the-art.
Second Life, which was created in 2003, is really taking off. Over 100 colleges use Second Life in some way for educational purposes. Some of the highly touted schools that use the program include Harvard and Stanford.
Brett Atwood, a professor at Washington State University, is a supporter and helper of Second Life. He worked with Linden Lab, which is the company that created this virtual world. He plans on using the program this upcoming fall for his classes in Journalism and Public Relations.
"It's easily mocked. I get that," Atwood stated. To some, the program may look like it should be for kids. What they don't know is all the precisions and advancements that make the virtual world more for adults and the real world.
Professors and students will be located on a replica campus, using a 3-D person to act as them. Classrooms and voice chat allow everyone to feel like they are actually in the classroom, despite possibly being 3,000 miles away. Everyone can pitch in on conversations, or the instructor can simply teach their class.
A lot of people don't like change in life. This program can seem intimidating and scare people away, but it is very effective and convenient in many circumstances. It is quite simple to use: one must be 18 years of age and older, and able to download the program.
"It requires somebody to take a leap of faith," Atwood added.Second Life is a major step in the way education is executed. This opens doors to new ways of teaching and learning. The program has rapidly gained popularity and hopefully will change the way schools are run in the future. Professors now have another option for teaching classes online classes could possibly boom.
This new virtual world will make education easier and open up new doors and opportunities for WSU employees and students around the world.