Second Life is a fun way for colleges to engage, connect, and keep costs down – and that’s good news for everyone! It’s no wonder that it is quickly becoming the go-to platform for colleges to reach out to the higher ed community.
Gary Hayes/Gary Hayes
From interacting with the world or just a select few, Second Life lets colleges choose who has access to what, which makes seminars and classes possible — and stops griefers (a term to describe attention-seeking, and unwelcome, SL users).
Colleges are incorporating elements of campus life into Second Life. The University of Kentucky isn’t the only college to embrace the possibilities of Second Life. For example, The University of North Carolina Pembroke has over 50 different Second Life locations that range from a wheat field to an art gallery in addition to the usual computer labs and classrooms.
The University of California Irvine has created a virtual library on Anteater Island, which faculty and students have integrated into University of California Irvine college classes, like Reasoning and Modeling with Graphical Models and Computer Games as Art, Culture and Technology.
Sometimes higher education takes Second Life construction beyond anything you would find on campus! You can view the beauty of the Sistine Chapel without ever leaving home – if you head to the Sistine Chapel on Vassar Island. Indiana University, and the IU-based Synthetic Worlds Initiative, has created a slew of virtual reality worlds, from Shakespearean Arden and the Victorian-era LondownTown, to Greenland, which investigates trade and diplomacy in the Stone Age, and United Islands, a more modern look at government.
Unusual or everyday, the main point of higher education on Second Life is to enhance learning. As the University of Oregon (and its partners) know, learning languages can be rough, especially with a tonal language like Chinese. So – they created MyChina Life, a Second Life world to help students study the Chinese language by actually interacting with Chinese speakers!
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Second Life is becoming almost indispensable to Health related industries. In a very real, as it happens kind of way, the platform provides a way to test trainees on reaction and knowledge. The University of Kansas Medical Center’s uses Second Life simulations for its Nurse Anesthesia Education Program.
The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health created a program to test public health officials at their ability to handle various disasters (think small pox or anthrax). Idaho State University uses SL for its bioterrorism awareness and preparedness program – testing response reactions to man-made or nature related crises.
Want more? The University of Texas purchased over 50 Second Life regions in 2009 for a campus-wide (and beyond) level of learning and sharing – and to help the university “go green.” Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Buena Vista University, and Montana State University’s Creative Research Lab are a handful of other colleges that have become a part of Second Life! The State University of New York doesn’t have a campus wide presence just yet – but they do have plenty of sub-groups!
Colleges and universities are interested in spreading knowledge too – and host virtual events! Drexel University recently hosted the virtual symposium Education for Everyone. Emerson College provided a place on its island for the Floating 6 Event to take place, an event that encourages discussion regarding art and video games.
There are many ways that colleges and universities are using Second Life – it’s unbelievable! These are just a few examples – know of any others? Share your observations in the comments section below.
Science from Superheroes to Global Warming – 
Religions of Star Trek – 
Learning from YouTube – 
Harry Potter 101 – various schools