The Murray State News

Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: News

A web-based virtual world has University faculty and students leading double lives.

Sue Sroda, scholar-in-residence for the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology, works with faculty to find ways to use new technology in the classroom. This semester, Sroda is working on a pilot project with other universities to see how Second Life can be used for educational purposes.

Second Life is a Web site that lets users simulate real life by creating characters that walk, talk, fly, interact and do business. Second Life has been compared to an online version of the popular computer game "The Sims."

The characters, or avatars, can interact with each other one-on-one or through the conference chat feature. Every user is a resident of Second Life, able to own property and create any type of product to buy, sell or trade.

Second Life is free to users unless they want to buy more property and receive a virtual stipend - then users must pay a monthly fee of $9.95, according to Second Life.com.

Second Life even has its own economy, fueled by a currency called Linden Dollars. Linden Dollars can be bought and sold for real currency on the Linden Exchange. Presently, one U.S. dollar is worth about 270 Lindens.

Sroda sees numerous possibilities for students to gain learning experiences with Second Life, she said.

"I think this is inherently more interesting than the classroom," Sroda said. "There are no flat white boards or flat text of distance learning. I think this is just a richer experience. You could hold office hours, make connections with students, and build whatever you want."

Murray State and other universities like Harvard and NYU have received virtual land grants to test the educational potential of Second Life, Sroda said.

Graphic design students could especially benefit from the use of Second Life, because the site gives users an unrestricted platform to create products from dragons to office furniture, Sroda said.

Chris Hopper, senior from Nashville, Tenn., is doing a research project on the higher education uses of Second Life by observing other universities and sitting in on weekly virtual classes. Later, Hopper will help develop Murray State's virtual property and documentation for it, he said via e-mail.

Hopper said he definitely sees a potential for learning through Second Life.

"It is useful," Hopper said. "From Harvard Law's Mock Trial of the first-ever Second Life related lawsuit, to basic Artificial Intelligence Classes, to roundtable literary discussions. Second Life is being used by universities already to enhance the learning experience."

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