It's a world of possibilities

Virtual campuses are springing up in Second Life, as universities discover the advantages of cyberspace. Jessica Shepherd reports Tuesday May 8, 2007The Guardian

In university lectures and tutorials, she is a slim blonde in her 20s by the name of Rosannalacey. At home, she is a little less slim, a little less blonde, aged 35 and called Rosanna Branch.
That's cyberspace for you. And it is here that more than two-thirds of Branch's classes for the masters course she is doing have taken place. Up to three times a week, her 3D animated alter ego has met those of her tutor and fellow students on Edinburgh University's cyber campus. They discuss ideas by typing in their characters' words, and fly across the cyberworld together to meet others with the same academic interests.
It is known as Second Life, an internet-based virtual world at least 6 million people have signed up to, where you can choose your appearance, age, gender and colour. And its use as a learning, teaching and research tool is to be debated at a conference in London on Friday run by the educational charity Eduserv.

Whether it has pedagogical power or not, UK universities are certainly starting to show an interest. Fifteen have already spent several thousand pounds on "land" in Second Life, its parent company Linden Lab reckons. Oxford University's computing service is running a six-month trial for university members. Leicester University bought "land" three weeks ago. Edinburgh and others beat them to it.

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