Chapter 1: Facing Realities

Abstract

Second Life is a virtual world owned by Linden Lab with over fifteen million users. It is currently one of the most popular 3-D social virtual worlds. The use of Second Life by libraries and universities has become a hotly debated topic in Library and Information Science circles. Early adopters of Second Life have been called evangelists, while nonusers of Second Life have been called Luddites who “don't get it.” The goal of this report isn't to feed the fire on either side of the debate, but rather to inform readers about the historical foundations of virtual worlds and to provide concrete examples of how virtual worlds have been used in the teaching and learning process from K–12 through higher education. This report examines the origins and evolution of virtual spaces, and explores several different instances of their practical application in an educational setting.