EDUC 7108 - Disruptive, Second Life Technologies

          A disruptive technology completely changes a tech market by making an existing technology become obsolete. Second life, or virtual reality worlds, have become disruptive technologies within the education field because they are allowing students to become involved in communal scenarios without being “physically present” (Nuthall, 2008).  Given the new ability for students to interact virtually, second life worlds begin to displace the need for learning in a traditional classroom setting. Nuthall (2008) points out that while second life may not be the best venue for a traditional lecture to take place, a “Powerpoint” would be quite conducive to be shown in a second life “theater.” Second life, however has some time before learning institutions, especially those in higher education, embrace second life for complete learning purposes. Second life could possibly become more readily available in classrooms by 2020 whereby many schools will more thank likely have 1:1 computer technology programs enabling all students to access the internet at home and at school. In the long run, second life might be overtaken by 3-D experiences that incorporate more marketing and Disney-like experiences that provide more thrill (McConnon & Reena, 2007).  Overall the social benefits of second life allow for global connections to be built as an enhancement of classroom learning. A drawback to learning within a second life environment has more to do with privacy than anything else. K-12 environments embracing second life will have to make parents feel comfortable about using this public platform for learning.

References: 

McConnon, A. & Reena, J. (2007, June 10). Beyond second life. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2007-06-10/beyond-second-life

Nuthall, K. (2008, January 20). US: a disruptive technology arrives. University World News. Retrieved from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20080117162121373

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