Second Life®

Virtual Worlds provide unique social learning environments.

The ILC is proud to be a founder of and steward for the University of South Alabama’s virtual campus in Second Life^®, Jaguarland.  We also have several secondary “fun sites” in the Victorian Steampunk nation of Caledon, including themed meeting and class areas.  For the past two years, we’ve hosted weekly Thursday night tours of educational sites throughout the grid.  Research is now being conducted on how such virtual tours can be a useful tool in teambuilding within a learning community as well as case studies on popular virtual tutorial and learning spaces.  Graduate Instructional Design students have made the island their own, having weekly study sessions—for this purpose, the Jaguarland Graduate Gardens and Manorhouse Skybox were created, complete with a garden full of presentation screens so visitors can learn while they walk around the flora.

The Mobile Bay Lighthouse Gallery is currently displaying photography by graduate student Antonia Jokelova.  USA was also represented with a slot at the 2010 Virtual Worlds: Best Practices in Education conference.  For local educators wanting to learn more about using virtual worlds in education, or wanting educational space at Jaguarland, we have the South Alabama Educators in Second Life interest group.  The group’s blog site is  http://saeslgroup.wordpress.com/.

Jaguarland Landmarks

Bayboat Welcome Center
Jag Guardian Village
LoDa Classrooms
Mobile Bay Lighthouse
Swampbox