Educators and instructors have been utilizing Second Life for many years to teach subjects like Chemistry, and the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference - which just concluded its 10th annual conference inworld - brings educators together to discuss their research and findings in virtual learning. This episode of the Drax Files takes a closer look at the application of education in Second Life though some of the work being done by Istanbul University professors Tuncer Can and Irfan Simsek

From teaching English, to training future teachers how to evaluate digital tools for learning and education,  Can and Simsek use Second Life to teach hundreds of students every day.  

With Second Life, “... you are creating some playful, engaging, and colourful environments” says Professor Can. Within these environments, students can safely and comfortably express themselves through their avatars. The comfort can help with openness and a focus on learning.  The virtual world also helps prepare onboarding students who plan to physically attend Istanbul University and acquaint them with campus life, other students, as well as Turkish culture.

To find out more about the unique learning opportunities provided in Second Life education courses - including the use of machinima to recreate history in relatable contexts -  watch the full episode here.

Want to see more Second Life stories? Find previous episodes of The Drax Files: World Makers at Draxtor’s website, or at the links below — and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel — where you can watch the entire series.
 

The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 43: nnoiz Papp
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 42: Death Row Designs
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 41: Vista Animations
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 40: Bernhard Dörries
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 39: Sergio Delacruz
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 38 : Eboni Khan
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 37 : Nonprofit Commons
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 36 : Sominel Edelman
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 35 : Project Bento
The Drax Files: World Makers - Episode 34 : Cheeky Pea