Name of Web 2.0 application: Second Life

URL: http://www.secondlife.com

Second Life describes itself as "a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents."

Second Life is a commercial MUVE (multi-user virtual environment).  I recorded my first impressions on setting up an account and trying to learn Second Life as part of my blog assignment for this workshop: http://teachingonlinepractical.blogspot.com/

I have always been fascinated by the possibilities of teaching in a MUVE and the excitement they seem to generate. I recall the MOOs and MUDs of the mid-nineties when all movement and communication involved elaborate text messages that read like stage directions (say, "what the heck am I doing here," see, "that strange object"). Later, some of these were slightly improved by the introduction of web-based elements. Still, they seemed to exert an almost cult-like appeal that didn't quite seem to worth the incredible effort needed to engage in the experience.

I was intrigued by Active Worlds in the late nineties and this seemed to offer more promise. I became acquainted with a few faculty who had found creative uses for the environment. Still, the learning curve was high and the movement, communication in the virtual environment remained too awkward for this to be a good solution for the average faculty member.

Second Life seems to represent a new stage in regard to sophistication of the environment but I believe that many faculty and the working adult student population may still find the barriers daunting.