April 12, 2009

Reaction: Second Life speaker

After we had the speaker on Second Life, it seems that it’s more than a variation of the once popular Sims game. Second Life can be used for a social networking tool for school and work, in addition to making online friends. More importantly, it can be used as an educational tool. I was impressed with the virtual illustration of Dante Alighieri’s “The Inferno.” I believe this is a particularly useful tool to engage students when studying the classic Italian literary work. The simulation included an interaction between the user and a chat within the game, which was pre-programmed with the questions asked of Dante in The Inferno.

As an educational tool, I think Second Life will eventually skyrocket as a means of interactive learning. Teachers can use Second Life to their advantage, even if students never use it afterwards. Illustrations always serve as a positive tool for learning. It is still a question of whether Second Life could serve as a sort of tool for education 2.0. Because social media has become second nature to tech-savvy adults and young adults, why couldn’t Second Life become second nature to upcoming tech-savvy students?

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