Learning Technology Essay

Due to their nature, a lot of possibilities are opened up in virtual worlds that are not present in the real world. These can make it highly conducive to learning new things. For instance, students that are separated by geography can share a class. A virtual environment ensures that procedures or demonstrations normally limited by scope or expense can be repeated, observed and redone as often as necessary. The very idea that is entertainment, and not just another â€Å"day in class† provides a stimulus to education that real schools often lack. The greater opportunity for collaboration, relative safety and convenience provided by online gaming certainly makes it a solid platform capable of delivering the lessons of the future. Cons of Using Second Life as a Learning Technology Some aspects of learning can never be completely replaced however. While Second Life may offer a greatly enhanced experience and rapid transfer of information, it is still nothing like face-to-face interaction. A wholly automated method of teaching is still prone to disruption and malicious griefing, especially in an online game like Second Life. And virtual objects will never be a substitute for tangible things, making it difficult for educational applications that require hands-on training. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons, and many institutes of higher learning are already aware of this fact. Utilizing Second Life as a Educational Tool for the Real World Learning a new language is an effort that can be greatly enhanced by interaction with elements that are connected to the culture in some way. There a quite a few themed regions in Second Life that are almost perfect replicas of their real-world counterparts, complete with native speakers to boot. Virtual tourism is the perfect way to learn and remember commonly-used phrases before the real trip. References Kock, N. , Verville, J. , & Garza, V. (2007). Media naturalness and online learning: Findings supporting both the significant- and nosignificant-difference perspectives. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 5(2), 333-356.