Second Life will be a powerful medium for enhancing online learning experiences for students. The developers of Second Life still have a lot of kinks to iron out of the program but as they continue to develop it the program will become more user friendly. The idea of being able to use the movie screen inside Second Life to teach math classes will certainly empower teachers to demonstrate some very difficult concepts by working the problems on the screen for the class to see and have access to when they need it.
In the future, Virtual High Schools (VHS) will make it possible for students who cannot make in the traditional classroom setting to graduate high school rather than dropping out and not being able to further their education. It will also empower students, who do not have a problem with traditional classroom settings, by allowing them to be a part of something they have become very familiar with. I believe students should always be given a choice in the type of median they want to experience when it comes to learning. Some students do not like online learning environments and others would have it no other way. November (2001) stated that the students who do not do well in online classes are those who sit in the front of the class and who answers the questions and have the chance to shine in front of all their classmates because they are quick-witted. He believed that if students do not want to be their (i.e., an online class), they will not do well.
The VHS and Second Life will continue to grow and as the “old guard” leaves and the new one takes over we will see more and more uses of these powerful median for learning. The future hold some very exciting things for those who are willing to venture out into the virtual world and grasp the power it has for teaching students.
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