Second Life Educational Islands

When Second Life was first offered online in early 2003, it was envisioned largely as a space for individuals to gather and socialize. It was not until a few years later that instructors’ interest was piqued and educational institutions began establishing spaces within the site.

A 2007 study of institutions with a virtual presence in Second Life found 170 separate educational groups with either virtual locations or groups established; they discovered that these educational spaces and groups were mostly used for hybrid classes (Jennings & Collins, p. 182). Robin D. Harper, vice president for marketing and community development at Linden Lab, notes that she did not expect that college classes would become such a large part of the Second Life environment. After they saw the interest professors had in holding classes in Second Life, “company executives put policies in place to entice college classes to the site” (cited in Foster, 2005).

These policies include offering land set aside for educational purposes, or islands, for a reduced fee; giving users the ability to make their island private (not searchable or visible to other users); and allowing users to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering an educational island. In early 2007, Linden Lab said that it had sold more than a hundred educational islands at approximately one thousand dollars plus $150 for monthly maintenance (Lagorio, n.p.). Though the costs may seem high, some institutions have purchased islands for multiple faculty members to use and build on, thus diffusing the cost while allowing for maximum use. As well, instructors can try out life on an island for free for one semester through a special program aimed at getting teachers interested in educational islands, Campus: Second Life.

An educational space in Second Life: Middletown. Image courtesy of joannamkay on Flickr.