When I first heard about Second Life (a.k.a. SL), I was a definite skeptic. Navigating through real life is hard enough these days and I’ve never been much of a gamer. I remember playing Nintendo years ago, but Donkey Kong and Super Mario Brothers was as far as I got. Initially I really couldn’t see the appeal of Second Life, but lately I’ve re-evaluated my position.One has to ask--why a virtual world and what might happen there? Of course, one might say that reality is finite, but the potential possibilities of cyberspace cover a broad spectrum. As an online community, SL goes far beyond the average 2D chat room. It’s a 3D world created by Linden Lab, but built entirely by its residents.
But is Second Life a game? If you ask dedicated SLers, many will likely say no. They will point to SL as an outlet for creativity and communication. Critics argue that it’s the worst sort of game and that it perpetuates a cruel and unequal capitalistic system. The economy of Second Life is based on the Linden dollar. Goods, services and even land are exchanged for this currency. It costs nothing to play or explore, but expect to pay cold hard cash to become a long-term resident.
Game or not, millions of dollars have exchanged virtual hands in Second Life. Universities and businesses are using this virtual world in a variety of ways. Some colleges conduct classes, engage in research and run lab simulations in SL, while businesses use it as an alternative medium for holding online meetings and training sessions as well as a marketing platform for launching new products.
I have attended several meetings of the Virtual World Education Roundtable, a group I recently joined in SL. For the most part, I’ve been impressed with the quality of presentations as well as the possibilities SL offers to the future of education. Whether you like it or not, virtual worlds are here. Currently, two nursing classes at TCC include a component involving SL in their course work. Second Life might be coming to a virtual campus near you in the not too distant future.
See you “In World”. --Meredith
