The Virtual Promised Land?

            Since its launch in 2003, Second Life has been the recipient of much scrutiny from audiences ranging from academics to news media.  Second Life early in its history was a source of much buzz with people convinced it would pave the way for a new kind of "virtual life."  This life would feature new economies as well as new educational opportunities.  Today, Second Life is still being seen as a tool in the arsenal of distance education due to a number of strengths the system provides, but do these strengths outweigh the limitations?

            According to Vesely, Bloom, and Sherlock, distance education classes have a dropout rate up to twenty percent higher than traditional courses.  Research suggests the solution to this problem is for professors to create a sense of community in distance education classes so that students will stick around.  On the other hand, massive virtual worlds boast broad user bases and are typically very good at building communities that remain engaged for long periods of time.  For example, World of Warcraft, the biggest virtual world currently, boasts over nine million subscribers and has maintained high subscription numbers for several years.  (Holisky, 2012)  Therefore, it is easy to see why so many academics and universities initially turned their attention to Second Life, due to the great promise these types of worlds hold to solving one of the major problems in distance education. 

            Unlike most virtual worlds, Second Life is not simply an educational game.  Second Life is whatever people decide it should be.  Tools exist for users to carve out their own piece of real estate and do with it what they please.  Many universities such as NC State used these tools to create virtual universities.  Other organizations and people sought to create a diverse range of online learning experiences.  Some of these experiences range from the recreation of "real world" spaces, like the Sistine Chapel.  While others simulate concepts like the water cycle or allow for exploration of an animal cell.  In fact, all this creation itself is educational lending itself strongly to core educational philosophies like constructivist thought.

            Creation and collaboration in Second Life has been made easier with time and new technology.  Today, Second Life can integrate a variety of Web 2.0 tools allowing users to accomplish any number of tasks.  Second Life can serve as an online meeting space much like Skype or Blackboard Collaborate.  Presentation areas within Second Life can even allow for virtual conferences.

            Second Life isn't without faults.  There are a number of Second Life users who design and promote adult oriented content meaning educators must use extreme caution when using Second Life.  Due to the nature of Second Life, load times or "rezzing in" for objects can be a slow process.  The graphics are a bit dated when compared to modern video game graphics and this can turn some users off who have more sophisticated tastes.  Finally, there is the issue of Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life, deciding to take away the education discount that helped many universities afford to keep a Second Life presence.  This may likely be a poor decision on their part as academia seems to be one of their greatest allies.

            Second Life offers a look at what the future of education might be, students participating in a diverse range of topics within countless locations and collaborating with people around the world.  The catch is Second Life, despite its many strengths, is mired in the present.  Second Life must evolve and overcome its limitations if it will be the educational utopia its proponents wish it to be.