What is the real risk to education?

The following is in response to an article I received relating to risk assessments using Second Life for educational purposes. The author identifies various areas of concern in relation to "exposing" students to Second Life.

...I agree to the concern/need of being aware of the environment we are introducing our students to. This of course is our responsibility with any learning environment and is the same issues we balance everyday in the business of education.

I think it is also important to understand the division between responsibility and accountability on behalf of the college. It is the same accountability that dictates we prepare our students for the world they are entering. Simply how do we teach in a vacuum and still remain accountable for preparing our students to work in a world that does not operate in a vacuum? Where do we become liable for not providing the appropriate skills to be successful in today's workplace of which the students are paying large amounts of money? So if we are concerned with responsibility and who is going to get sued, maybe we should look at the goods and services provided to our customers. Are we meeting our end of the agreement by teaching in a vacuum? Can we be held liable for not providing the service our students are paying for?

Another Perspective:
It has been my experience in Second Life that I have the ability to better manage the environment with much less overhead than I can in the RL class room. If you really wanted to get to the level of responsibility the author of this article goes to in justifying not using Second Life, we could easily swing the other direction. How responsible are we as an organization to require our students to get in a vehicle or public mode of transportation, travel a public street or highway to a pre-determined location on a regularly scheduled time table to attend class at a campus that houses large numbers of people? And to what level do we assess responsibility in our public/private educational system? Do we hold the public transit system responsible if there is a wreck involving a student? Do we sue the car manufacturer for building the car the student had a wreck in even though the cause was not from mechanical issues of the car?

Of course the answer to all of this is...common sense. We live in a world that is constantly evolving, it only makes sense that education be dynamic to provide the service we are paid to provide to our students, otherwise we are not doing the job we are responsible for? Ultimately the concern we should have in education is not being sued for providing a service, but being sued for not providing a service...the service of realistically preparing our next generation to join the human effort! How big a law suit is that?...

Professional Development in Second Life

This excerpt was taken from an article submitted by Peggy Sheehy titled "Give Your Professional Development a Second Life" (http://www.techlearning.com/article/15148)

..."My avatar, Maggie Marat, has been a resident of Second Life since August, 2005. Participating via my customized avatar identity within a rich 3-D landscape has provided me opportunities to meet, network, and collaborate with outstanding educators in a global professional learning community. I have developed meaningful, substantive relationships that carry just as much significance to me as their “real world” counterparts.

The evolution of the international educational presence in Second Life has been nothing short of remarkable. What began as a few bold and curious explorers has now scaled to thousands of teachers spanning over one hundred regions used for educational purposes. Nearly 400 universities around the world teach courses or conduct research in SL, and
ISTE, Discovery Star Educators, New Media Consortium, PBS, Google Certified Teachers, ALA, all have a presence in Second Life with more organizations joining us every day.

As our professional development groups in Second Life extend, word is getting out to the mainstream education community that the potential for collaboration is not only more effective and efficient, but it’s free! It’s also playful, engaging, at times unpredictable and always “on.”

Perhaps the best evidence of this evolution is the attendance at the Second Life Community Convention this year. The education strand has evolved from a tiny cluster of hopeful pioneers (NYC, 2006) to a dedicated ensemble struggling to get their voices heard (Chicago, 2007), to a shining and powerful host of creative, collaborative and unstoppable educators: truly a force to be reckoned with (Tampa, 2008).

What is the appeal? What does the virtual landscape offer us absent from other online learning communities? The answer is that sense of presence, the ambiance of place and connection--that feeling of “being there.” Other distance learning vehicles may offer flexible time options but are mostly impersonal. The avatar encounter is highly interactive, and interpersonal, providing the same convenience of not having to travel while extending a richer, more immersive and generally more enjoyable experience..."

"Peggy Sheehy is an instructional technology facilitator and media specialist at the Suffern Middle School in Suffern, NY. After a twenty-five year career as a professional musician, Peggy Sheehy now serves as ITF/ media specialist in New York's Ramapo Central School District. She established the first middle school educational presence in Teen Second Life: Ramapo Islands. Starting their third year of learning in Second Life, Ramapo Islands now hosts over 1500 students and their teachers."


What is your take or experiences with Professional Development opportunities in virtual worlds?