Educational Benefits of Second Life
SL offers numerous conveniences for learners. Students in SL have the ability to interact with instructors and other students in real time as if they were in actual classroom.In fact, SL interaction is more convenient for students than actual classroom because students do not need to travel to the campus to attend lectures.
This interaction encourages learners to engage in online discussions with no reluctance. SL synchronous discussion is a great feature for extroverted students who like to have immediate feedback from peers and instructors (Rudestam & Schoenholtz-Read, 2010). Learners in SL also have the opportunity to re-read the discussion in the chatting section and save it for later review. This attribute is practically useful for introverted students, who tend to review their comments before applying them (Rudestam & Schoenholtz-Read, 2010).
SL educational characteristics are for both formal and informal educational environments. Wentz and Woods had the opportunity to be informal students in SL. They claim that informal learning helps students engage without feeling shy. Wentz and Woods went with their instructor to visit art and science museums, musical concerts and architectural sites (Baker, Wentz & Woods, 2009).
Students can establish informal friendships with other learners and experts with the same interests. Indeed, they can initiate a community of practice where learning becomes a life-long activity.
