ImagiLearning and the Virtual Environment

Second Life and the increasing collection of virtual environments get a lot of press, and are filling up their fair number of presentation slots at conferences around the world. But so are the rumors, the stories, the pros and cons...in such a wide variety it is difficult to make any sense out of what is really going on. We hear from a lot of business leaders and educators who have "heard about" Second Life, or perhaps have staff and clients who are talking about it or asking for it...but with all the voices out there, just don't know whether to take virtual worlds seriously or not. "What are virtual worlds, and why should I care?"

Following several years of activity with earlier "virtual human" technologies, we became active members of the Second Life community in 2005 and have continued exploring and researching that virtual environment since. From our experience in developing courses and learning communities there, as well as conducting research that led to a PhD in Education from that research, we have developed a view of virtual worlds that is based both in research and practical application.

What we have learned is that the overall issue is not about virtual worlds, or a particular environment such as Second Life. The issue is one of a larger social and cultural change that is occuring as the pace of technology change continues its exponential growth. We are daily experiencing the loss of patterns of a culture that has created our traditional educational and business infrastructure. Educators and business leaders alike are seeking to understand how to thrive in a new culture...one that we believe is very well represented in the experience of the virtual world.

So virtual worlds are a platform on which we help leaders of today experience the changes that are forming tomorrow. In the process, those leaders are learning to become citizens of that new culture. They are learning to create the future.

That is the opportunity we offer.