EDUCAUSE | Contributed by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and Virtual Worlds

7 Things You Should Know About Second Life

gdobbin — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:07:39 -0500

Second Life is a virtual world with tens of millions of square meters of virtual lands, more than 13 million “residents,” and a thriving economy. Large numbers of colleges and universities—or, in some cases, individual departments or faculty—are active in Second Life, not only for academic purposes but also for campus visits, recruiting activities for prospective students, and fundraising. Second Life lets educators easily build and modify learning spaces to test how different strategies for a physical space affect learning, and a similar approach can be taken toward educational activities in those spaces.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About…" briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

2007 Horizon Report

drupal — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:59:43 -0600

The 2007 Horizon Report looks at six selected areas--"User-Created Content," "Social Networking," "Mobile Phones," "Virtual Worlds," "New Scholarship and Emerging Forms of Publication," and "Massively Multiplayer Educational Gaming"--the project draws on an ongoing discussion among knowledgeable individuals in business, industry, and education, as well as published resources, current research and practice, and the expertise of the NMC community itself. The Horizon Project's Advisory Board probes current trends and challenges in higher education, explores possible topics for the "Report," and ultimately directs the selection of the final technologies.

- A Spanish Language Edition is now available.

Simulations, Games, and Learning

drupal — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 10:56:48 -0500

Exploring games and education is inherently controversial. Even the name implies games don't involve work. However, today's games are complex, require collaboration and strenuous time commitments, and involve developing values, insights, and new knowledge. They are immersive virtual worlds often augmented by complex communities of practice. In many ways, games have become complex learning systems.

7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Worlds

drupal — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:16:25 -0500

A virtual world is an immersive online environment whose "residents" are avatars representing individuals who participate through the Internet. Many institutions are experimenting with virtual worlds for educational purposes. They may foster constructivist learning by placing students in a context that challenges them to learn without explicit learning objectives and assessment.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning practices and technologies. Each brief focuses on a single practice or technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

ELI Innovations & Implementations—SciFair: Game Worlds for Learning

drupal — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 10:59:18 -0500

Cornell's SciCentr is an online museum of virtual worlds that engages young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Its SciFair program helps students build virtual worlds and thus learn new ways of developing and sharing knowledge.

ELI's Innovations & Implementations series highlights innovative teaching, learning, and technology practices in higher education. Each Innovations & Implementations piece provides a practical overview of an innovation, focusing on its significance and implementation issues. Use Innovations & Implementations to explore innovative practices that might be of value to your institution.