Module 4: Second Life – Disruptive or Not?
Dr. Thornburg (Laureate, 2009) suggests
that disruptive technologies are on an evolutionary path but another technology
comes into play and obsoletes the prior technology because of key
characteristics. Second Life could
easily be considered a disruptive technology because it offers free and
engaging ways to encourage people to interact in educational, business, and
social settings. Second Life could easily displace other technologies including
online (distance) learning, the traditional learning environment (classroom),
and global business transactions. Although this 3D world is truly innovative,
it has yet to obsolete the before mentioned technologies since its creation in
2003. Second Life and other virtual learning environments face resistance
because many teachers are not open to the idea of “losing” control of the
traditional classroom setting. These same teachers fail to foster an engaging
learning environment because there is no opportunity for students to truly
utilize the digital skills developed from participating in a plethora of
digital activities outside the confines of the school day.
In today’s traditional educational settings,
teachers are encouraged to strive towards the creation of a more
student-centered, explorative learning environment. The use of Second Life in
the classroom/educational practices could easily displace the traditional
social relationships teachers commonly develop with students. Despite the lack
of face-to-face interactions, Second Life has the ability to foster global
learning opportunities for students as they work to collaborate and communicate
with people from other cultures and countries.
The
Forward 150 Timeline, introduced in Module 2, offers that people will begin
to spend an increased amount of time in virtual reality worlds by 2020. An increased use of social networking sites (Facebook,
Twitter, etc.) is definitely characteristic of our modern society. However,
Second Life has not gained the same popularity commonly associated with these
sites. The social implications of utilizing the virtual reality world could
potentially open up new opportunities and interactions for students. Those
students who fear social settings and public speaking could easily move to the
top of the class through participation in this type of “world.” Second Life and
other similar technologies would provide an engaging learning environment where
students are able to utilize the skills commonly found among digital natives.
By offering students the opportunity to participate in class activities
utilizing technology, students would begin to close the gap and disconnect that
often arises between home and school. Furthermore, the use of this innovative
technology would easily promote differentiation of instruction as teachers make
learning more relevant for individual learners.
What great potential lies within the
virtual world!
(If only more teachers could see this!!)
Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Disruptive technologies.
Baltimore, MD: Author.
