Week 14 Using Games for Teaching and Learning

This week we further read about Second Life, a gaming forum whose use is on the rise in the gaming world and educational world. In Second Life, people create an avatar, which is a virtual alter ego of themselves. In this "second life," people mimmic normal everyday humans. According to the articles read, people can even get married, convert their money made in Second Life to real currency, and can teleport and travel. Although Second Life can be used as a fun tool and a great learning tool, as seen in the articles, it can also lead to some trouble. One lady was arrested for hacking into her online husband's profile and killing off his character because she claimed his character was cheating on hers. Instances like this have shown that people can take online gaming too far and there is need for its regulations.

Online gaming such as Second Life, however, can also be an increasingly beneficial tool for people in the field of education. The University of Florida has already adopted its version of the Second Life forum. This gaming resource can be a great way for students to experiment with what types of jobs they may want to pursue in the real world. With virtual practice, they can more easily eliminate what types of jobs they don't like, without having to spend a lot of money majoring in that field, and then realizing they do not like that type of work.

Below is a video from Indiana University, Coordinator of Educational Technology, Robert, Appleman. In this video, he explores, how students are easily engaged in learning through the use of video games. With some of these newer games, such as the Nintendo Wii, students have to be more social with their gaming efforts, which aides in their education.