USING A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT TO ENGAGE AND CONNECT WITH

STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Academic Advising and Learning in

Second Life

What is Second Life?•Virtual 3D interactive environment

•Developed by Linden Labs

•Free basic user access

•Over 18 million user accounts

Benefits of Second Life3D Graphics provide an immersive experience

Personalization of avatars to reflect individuality

Development and use of specialized “ virtual land”

Group memberships

Collaborative work, conferencing, and networking in a synchronous environment

Interaction with document, video, and sound files in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Connect with studentsEngage in an environment

• Communication using personalized avatars includes expression of emotions. This helps students and advisors to develop a relationship based on the understanding of personal characteristics that may not happen when advising distance students using other methods(Nutt, 2008).

• Chat capabilities for groups or individuals allows for group advising sessions and individual advising meetings.

• Bulletin board notifications can be used to inform students of events or deadlines and to connect them with resources.

• Students can collaboratively solve complex problems and connect with each other for support.

Using Second Life in Advising and Learning

Challenges of Using Second Life in Advising

•Confusing acceptable use policies within institutions

•Dress codes for avatars may be need to be established even when no dress codes exist on-campus

•Content can be lost when programs loose funding

•Need for significant time to develop navigation skills

•Technical requirements may limit access

•Assessment as an educational tool in advising is neede

References

Nutt, C. (2008). Academic advising: To infinity and beyond. National Academic Advising Association website. Retrieved from: https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&catid=2&Itemid=2

For more views of Second Life in higher education:

Virtual graduation in Second Lifehttp://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KajvOYgRx14

Virginia Tech Memorial in Second Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2RbJAST0RI&feature=related

Collaborative learning in Second Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BVUAtglahg

Teaching in Second Life at NC State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWfvqkkk0yM