HAS MY THINKING NOW CHANGED ABOUT THE VALUE OF SECOND LIFE IN EDUCATION?
YES, my thinking has changed about the value of Second Life in education as I just thought it was a game that you played on the computer like Sims. It is not only creating an avatar and building a room, you are actually having an Inworld Learning Experience. You assume a simulated life of your own while learning without knowing it. You are not just sitting there reading a history book from cover to cover and not knowing exactly what is was like back then.
HAS YOUR OPINION CHANGED REGARDING THIS TREND IN EDUCATION?
We need to grab this type of education and run with it!
We will engage a lot more students as well as supplement the face to face learning of the classroom activities that we teach as it is highly interactive, which kids love. They would be learning and not knowing that they are.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A BENEFIT OF VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR EDUCATION?
Benefits certainly outweigh the downfalls of virtual learning environments in education.
It is a virtual canvas for students to be creative. It will excite the new generation of connected young school students as they are not confined to a particular building or classroom. This also allows students to have a flexible schedule which would certainly make them want to attend as it demands participation once on and will broaden their educational horizons. The Inworld Learning Experience would assist the students that are not strong readers to walk through it in a virtual tour.
Other benefits include bringing remote students into the same virtual classroom such as Distance Education. This not only brings remote students together but other educators, where they can share ideas and be creative together.
What a Fantastic Tool!
