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Friday, September 19, 2008
Georgia State University Gets a Second Life!I received my Georgia State Alumni Magazine yesterday and was delighted
to learn how progressive Georgia State remains! I attended Georgia State in the 90's and received my Bachelor of
Science Degree in Mental Health and Human Services. I chose Georgia State because thier program was very experiential,
hands-on and practical. While the program no longer exists and has been replaced in the department with a BSW program,
I remain an alumni and a fan of GSU.
On the cover: A Second Life: The Virtual World Provides Ample Educational
Opportunities and inside, a three-page article about GSU's educational island. This information about Second Life is offered
on the GSU website:
IS&T of Georgia State University is proud to launch its faculty
development island in Second Life. Second Life, a 3D virtual world, offers immersive possibilities for learning. Students
may converse in real time with residents from Spain or France, view the art of the Sistine Chapel, walk on Mars, or let a
tsunami wave wash over them.
This island also offers instructors an area to learn about the Second Life environment
and how best to use it with their classes. Included on the island are tutorials, tips and helps, a best practices display
area and a sandbox to try new skills.
Second Life (SL), developed
by Linden Labs, provides a unique and flexible environment for instructors who are interested in online learning and computer-supported
collaborative work. It is a downloadable program that enables users to interact with each other through user-created avatars
and provides an high level of social interactivity between users. SL is not a game but rather an immersive learning simulation
that allows the users to learn new skills, learn in a social environment, and to learn the cultures and manners of a virtual
environment. Users may build objects, chat with each other, and learn and network with others from around the globe.
I am thrilled to see higher education present in Second Life. I co-founded the
Online Therapy Institute and immediately saw the benefit of offering a presence and an educational platform in Second Life. The
existence of colleges and universities in SL affirms the decision to open an office in a virtual world.
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