A Faculty Mentoring Experience: Learning Together in Second Life
Source: Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education (formerly Journal of Computing in Teacher Education), 26(4), 149-159. 2010.
Benefits of using virtual worlds such as Second Life have been highlighted but researchers and educators have also been forewarned of some potential drawbacks. Understanding how virtual worlds work, their capabilities and limitations, empowers educators to make better decisions regarding their use for learning and teaching.
The current paper will report on a faculty mentoring experience aimed at familiarizing two professors with Second Life. In addition, the article will report on engaging in a collaborative effort to understand how Second Life can be used in language learning and general education settings.
The perspectives of both mentor and mentees will be discussed and the lessons learned will be shared.