The Art Institute Online, a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, has opened a student campus in Second Life, a virtual online community, which will be the forum for a new Business Communications course. The faculty, realizing the potential for a rewarding learning experience, credits student interest in Second Life as the source for the course's development.

Developed by San Francisco-based Linden Lab, Second Life is a rapidly growing and constantly changing 3D MUVE (multi-user virtual environment) where residents can discover a world of exploration, socializing, creativity, self-expression, and learning. The online society uses real-time 3D streaming technology and runs on proprietary software that students can download from the Second Life web site at www.secondlife.com.

Second Life allows The Art Institute Online students and faculty to create avatars – or cartoon-like characters – that interact with one another and are controlled via keyboard and mouse. The course will be primarily asynchronous and students will have the opportunity to communicate in an environment that lends itself to socialization.

"An environment such as this takes advantage of lateral and community-based learning," said Jeannie Novak, Academic Program Director, Game Art & Design/Media Arts & Animation at The Art Institute Online. "We are always striving to create that within our current 2D online courses and this certainly takes lateral learning to the next level."
 
 

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