EDUC 7108 Module 4: The Disruptive Power of Second Life

According to Dr. Thornburg, “disruptive technologies are called such because they disrupt what’s going on” (Laureate Education, 2009). Second Life, which is a free three dimensional virtual world where users (known as residents) can create avatars for the purpose of meeting and socializing with other residents, participating in individual and group activities, and creating and trading virtual property and services with one another” (“Second Life, 2012). Second Life is considered a disruptive technology because it allows users to interact, communicate, and collaborate virtually in the same manner that they would in real life. Additionally, it provides a more advanced way for users to connect, in a way that chat rooms don’t have the ability to. This means that less people are interacting in real life or electronically (via chat rooms, email, and instant messaging), and more are using Second Life as a tool for connectivity. Furthermore, through Second Life, users are given the opportunity to interact with more than just the people that they know; they could connect with an array of individuals from various professions, cities, states, countries, races, backgrounds and cultures, etc.

Overall, “Second Life takes communication to a whole new level. [The user can] use 3D voice chat to talk it up with friends, type messages in local chat, or instant message anyone in Second Life. Unlike a phone call, email or IM, you [the user] can also use body language to express yourself. Gestures let you laugh, sigh, dance or shake a fist to add some personality to what you're saying. Also, why talk about hanging out, clubbing or camping, when you can do it virtually with your friends right now? Second Life lets you share experiences with your friends and family- not just talk to them” (Second Life, 2012). Because of how individuals can use Second Life, I think that it’s a technology that will be around at least another six years before something comes along to replace it.

From an educational perspective, I think that Second Life can be used to teach middle school students how to communicate and collaborate as they interact and work with others. Knowing how to work with others is important in reality, but is equally important electronically or virtually, as some of their courses may have to be completed online. Furthermore, I find that sometimes it’s easier for people to hide behind words, so they’re more prone to be more open (honest and expressive) in their interactions with people who they don’t know personally than those that they do. Or they may be more open when they are communicated electronically than when they are communicating one on one.  

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Emerging and future technology: Disruptive technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Second life. Wikipedia. (2012). Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

I responded to the post of:

·         Tiffany Harrell: www.tiffanyharrell.blogspot.com   

·         Tracy Snow: http://snowkween.blogspot.com/