Welcome to the Matrix: E-Learning Gets a Second Life

The Learning Gains and Student Perceptions of a Second Life Virtual Lab

“…Overall, satisfaction with the SL PCR lab was high and many commented that they would like to see other experiments in the Virtual Lab. Second Life is said to be among the most challenging platforms for new users (Wood et al, 2008) so it is extremely encouraging to see that our students rated their experience of the Virtual Lab so highly.…”

“…Second Life allows users to create an alter-ego (avatar) with which they can interact with other people and objects in cyber-space. Students who have created an avatar can attend virtual conferences, lectures, presentations and tutorials hosted by educational sites, including Harvard in the United States (US) and Oxford in the UK (Wood et al, 2008).…”

Teaching Marketing Through a Micro-Economy in Virtual Reality

“…To combat the learning curve inherent to operating in a virtual world for the first time, relevant resources are required (Wood et al, 2008), sometimes calling for the use of more than one technology (Calongne, 2008). In the current project a Wiki page was used by both the instructors and the students.…”

“…Most important, make sure that the format is interesting enough to justify the time and potential financial commitment needed for a successful project. An instructor's skill may limit the experience (Wood et al, 2008), but with the right attitude, both the instructor and student can learn through the process (Piccoli et al, 2001).…”

Virtual Retail Simulations in Second Life

“…Previously, collaborative virtual environments have been used to help students understand how to apply textbook knowledge to real-world situations (Chou and Liu 2004;Jarmon et al 2009;Piccoli, Ahmad, and Ives 2001;Tuten, 2009;Wood, Solomon, and Allan 2008). However, incorporating Second Life is still relatively new to business courses, and therefore there is limited background on the subject.…”