Modern students have a wide range of new technology and devices to contend with. From smartphones like the Blackberry, to digital gadgets like the iPad tablet, students are able to access information anywhere and at any time. Some believe this opens up possibilities for online education.
Currently, individuals working towards their bachelors degrees or hoping to complete additional certification can use online education as a way to access course materials whenever they choose. They need only connect to the internet. However, researchers at the University of Massachusetts are looking for new ways to help students to complete online degree programs in coming years.
Second Life is one of them. Through this web site, students use “avatars” to represent themselves in a 3-dimensional virtual reality setting. Their avatars, each with distinct appearances, are able to walk, fly and teleport themselves to different locations. Several colleges and universities have Second Life campuses, and an article in the DailyCollegian.com suggested the site might become the next virtual classroom.
A 2006 CNN report, on the other hand, called Second Life the “classroom of the future.” Science Daily in 2007 described class attendance on the site as “otherworldly.” Its education community that year included public libraries, universities where ideas could be shared and an education listserv or listservs with more than 1,000 subscribers, according to a 2007 New York Times article. Students on Second Life were able to interact through chat discussions and could create presentations in multimedia formats, The Times article noted.
Unveiled as a social network in 2003, Second Life might allow students in childcare, teaching or psychology programs to benefit via structured scenarios, the DailyCollegian.com noted. The site’s potential for collaboration, immersion, aesthetics, creativity and social interaction appealed to at least one computer science and engineering professor from a Florida university, according to the Science Daily article. This particular instructor guided students on a Second Life tour and discussion of digital objects, the article noted.
The Association for Educational Communications and Technology, a professional association of educators working to improve instruction through technology, also has a presence on the site. One of the drawbacks of Second Life, according to what an Ivy league graduate student told CNN, is that it can be distracting when people are flying above you while you’re trying to concentrate on a class discussion.
Students enrolled in online degree and online certificate programs do have other options for interacting as well. They can communicate via an internet program known as Skype, which is like a video telephone. So long as their computers are equipped with web cams, students on Skype can see and collaborate with others in real time regardless of their physical distance.
Facebook and MySpace also provide opportunities for students to collaborate on different projects. Those who are studying from the same textbook might chat or establish groups or forums on one of these social networking sites. Through the forums, they would be able to post information, thoughts and ideas.
What seems clear is that students in the future are going to be taught through accredited degree online programs. Everything is there, from a classroom two blocks away to a student-partner in China taking the same course online. What also seems clear is that students can right now take advantage of courses from online colleges to explore and learn, turning what they learn into their future career.