Building Bridges: Safety in Second Life

The "Burning Bridges" portion of this webtext focuses on virtual harassment in Second Life. However, this section is not meant to scare away educators who might be interested in harnessing the power of this space for their classrooms; virtual harassment and similar online attacks are rare. Individuals are much more likely to be stalked, harassed, or abused by someone they know in real life or are intimately involved with than a stranger, belying the typical “stranger danger” messages children are often shown. While opportunities for online harassment are out there, it's unlikely that educators who bring their classes into Second Life will ever encounter serious harm.

Rather, I present the discussion in "Burning Bridges" to highlight the idea that, just as with any other technology, we should carefully consider why and how to present Second Life to our students and, more importantly, those of us who are interested in the use of MMOGs for educational purposes should enter into a conversation that includes a discussion of the many legal issues these sites bring into focus. Particularly because many instances of online harassment are the result of an individual targeted because of their virtual identity, it is important to consider how the avatar-rich Second Life site protects students from the possibilities of virtual harassment before even entering the space.

Some of the best ways to ensure a safe and productive Second Life experience for your classes are as follows:

• Consider the use of a Second Life educational island. You can apply for a land scholarship through Campus: Second Life; apply for a grant through your local institution for the purchase of an educational island; or possibly rent space on an educational island from a willing institution.
  
  
• Sign up for the Second Life Educators mailing list(SLED) to tap into a network of other educators using Second Life in their classes.
  
  
• If you have minors in your class, these students may wish to create an account on Teen Second Life instead of the main Second Life grid. Teen Second Life is open to users between the ages of 13-17 and, like on the main Second Life grid, a basic account is free.
  
  
• Consider adding a statement on your syllabus that informs students of your intent to use Second Life in the classroom so that students are aware up front of this classroom requirement. You may wish to offer students the ability to opt out of using Second Life in the classroom or to offer alternative assignments that ask students to analyze Second Life without having to participate in the site.
  
  
• Develop a working relationship with the Information Technology department on your campus and possibly with administrators who oversee legal issues for your department or campus. Keep in touch with them regarding any potential issues that may emerge from your classroom use of Second Life.
  
  
• Most importantly, ask students to carefully read through the Second Life terms of service and community standards documents before agreeing to them. Hold a discussion before entering Second Life for the first time that asks students to consider what they would do in particular situations. Analyze selected cases of virtual harassment and ask students to apply the terms of service and community standards documents to those situations, then research what, if anything, Linden Lab employees chose to do.