Virtual-world environments such as Second Life, There, Whyville, etc. provide opportunities to learn in virtual communities where students meet online for class activities, including lectures, discussions, case studies, projects, papers, exams, labs, and more. Classes can be synchronous, asynchronous, or both. A virtual-world experience is an immersive environment in a three-dimensional (3D) graphical setting, with the use of avatars to represent the class participants, and the sense of presence that puts the learner within the scene.
Second Life is one of the many virtual-world environments available via the Internet and commonly used in higher education. At K-State, faculty have used Second Life to teach courses in geology and hospitality management and dietetics. K-State Research and Extension has a presence in Second Life.
To learn more about Second Life, visit one or more of these YouTube videos: Continue reading “Second Life videos, interest survey for K-State teachers”
