Virtual Environments Enable New Models of Learning

Hundreds of leading universities and school systems around the world use Second Life as a vibrant part of their educational programs. Linden Lab works enthusiastically with education organizations to familiarize them with the benefits of virtual worlds, connect them with educational peers active in Second Life, and showcase their inworld projects and communities.
A large, active education community—with hundreds of K-12 and higher education members—are engaged in Second Life. The Open University, Harvard, Texas State, and Stanford are just a few of the many universities that have set up virtual campuses where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together.
Second Life has also proven a valuable professional development medium for educators. Organizations such as the NMC have fostered shared learning among educators and are networking, running inworld seminars, conferences and symposia on learning and creativity related to virtual worlds. Visit the NMC website to learn about the range of Second Life related information and activity on offer or learn about the programs produced by their diverse international membership.
And, when you’re ready to purchase land and establish a campus online, we have discounted rates for educators.
Education Case Studies
The New Media Consortium This case takes a holistic view of the largest education project in Second Life and—for that matter any virtual world—and explores the history of how the NMC project in Second Life came to be and gleans best practices. Download the PDF in English Deutsch Français 日本語.
The Open University Open University, based in the UK, enable their students the flexibility of learning in Second Life with their extended virtual world campus. Download the PDF in English Deutsch Français 日本語.
Loyalist College Case Study: Loyalist College in Canada massively improves test scores and training outcomes using Second Life. Download the PDF in English.
New Educator Pilot Program
New Educator Pilot Program
Before you begin your own Second Life project or campus, we encourage you to go inworld to meet other educators and learn how to teach classes, network, and interact with students in new and unique ways in the virtual world. The best part is--it's free. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), one of the many vibrant education communities in Second Life, will help you discover education-related areas in Second Life through the New Educator Pilot Program, which offers many benefits and resources including:
Live "Docents" volunteer assistance during regularly scheduled hours
Scheduled tours, speaker series, and special events
Showcased destinations and educational uses of SL
Socials to learn from other educators about how they are using SL
Tools to enable your educational uses of SL
Additional tutorials to help you land on your feet
Plug into the Education Community in Second Life
Connect with other educators, or non-profits, using Second Life at the following blogs and listservs, which provide up-to-date information on activities, support, and communities:
Second Life Eduscape Blog, Linden Lab’s new education blog
Second Life Educator (SLED) List
Second Life Education Wiki
Second Life Education (SLED) Blog
International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Official Second Life Learning Inworld Twitter