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Virtual world can be educational tool
[October 17, 2008]

Virtual world can be educational tool


(The Daily Independent (Ashland, Ky.) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 17--ASHLAND -- A computer simulation mostly used for social networking can be a useful tool for educators, a Kentucky Virtual Library expert said Thursday.

Second Life, the virtual world in which participants create alter egos that explore and interact with one another, can be a useful venue for discussions, classes, conferences and projects, said Betsy Hughes, electronic resources librarian for the Kentucky Virtual Library.



Hughes demonstrated the simulation during the first day of the 16th annual Teaching/Learning Conference at Ashland Community and Technical College.

The conference this year focuses heavily on the technology that is becoming a standard facet of education at all levels.


Participants in Second Life create accounts, which can be free or premium. A premium account entitles the user to more goods and services in the virtual world.

The user then creates a virtual self, called an avatar, with which to explore and communicate with the avatars of other users.

Like the real world, Second Life has an economy with virtual currency that can be bought with real money; users may buy virtual property, homes and commercial goods.

Most use the simulation for social gatherings, somewhat like instant messaging and chat sessions, only among cartoon-like avatars instead of lines of type.

The graphic nature of the simulation has educational applications, said Hughes, who demonstrated some.

Vassar College maintains a highly detailed Sistine Chapel with digitized reproductions of the Michelangelo masterpieces that line its ceiling. Users are free to explore the virtual chapel. Since avatars can fly and hover, they can view the frescos up close and in detail.

Thus, art students could get a feel for the chapel without the expense of a trip to Rome, Hughes said.

Harvard has a courtroom in Second Life, and users are free to kibitz on mock trials there.

The University of Kentucky and University of Louisville both have a presence in the simulation, as do Ohio University and The Ohio State University.

In today's tight economy, educators may find Second Life an affordable place for networking, Hughes said. "What about conferences? Does anybody have a travel budget anymore?" she said.

It's possible to conduct classes in Second Life if enough students have access to the graphics-intensive computer technology necessary, Hughes said. There is no way of knowing whether the simulation will supplant physical classrooms, but the virtual world itself provides much educational fodder, she said.

For instance, students could study the virtual economy or could look into copyright issues stemming from rights to images and assets in the simulation.

Although Second Life is reserved to adult users, there is a companion simulation called Teen Second Life open only to users ages 13 to 18.

The Teaching/Learning Conference continues today at ACTC. This year's conference brought more than 300 educators from around the region, said Larry Ferguson, director of business and industry services at ACTC.

Conference attendees came from several colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Marshall University, Ohio University Southern, Shawnee State University and others, he said. A number of teachers in area public schools also attended.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at [email protected] or (606) 326-2652.

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