Virtual Possibilities: A Constructivist Examination of the Educational Applications of Second Life.

This study surveyed post-secondary instructors in 15 countries regarding their experiences using the virtual world Second Life as a teaching tool. Qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions suggests that Second Life offers a great deal of potential in realizing Grabinger and Dunlap’s (2000) attributes of a rich environment for active learning (REAL), as well as a number of practical benefits. However, technological barriers, institutional opposition, limited familiarity, and other concerns may be preventing instructors from fully making use of Second Life in their curricula.

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