The San Jose State University (SJUS) School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) has a Second Life Portal http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/sl/index.php/Main_Page and is offering "the nation's first graduate degree course for library and information science professionals tracking the exciting new world of libraries in immersive worlds." There's a brief YouTube video (3 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-9zt3Sd7oc and a sort news story in a national professional journal "San Jose SLIS Embraces Second Life, Library Journal. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6449579.html?q=second+life+. According to Outsell Inc. ( information industry market research firm" an increasing number of universities in the United States and Europe are using Second Life for both on-campus and distance learning students, and, according to some estimates, within five years more than 80 percent of Internet users will be going to Second Life and other virtual worlds." Amelia, MarketingBase (Business Research and Consulting) Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications School of Library and Information Science San Jose State University 707 829-9421; Fax: 707 823-2713 http://www.marketingbase.com; mailto:amelia@marketingbase.com -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Charles Ess Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 1:50 PM To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-l] use of second life in higher education? A colleague is starting to examine possible uses of Second Life in higher education. A quick scan of the AoIR mail archive didn't turn up anything specific (though perhaps I missed something ...) so... references and/or other suggestions for some initial reading in this area? many thanks in advance, - charles ess Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies <http://www.drury.edu/gp21> Drury University 900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230 Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435 Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html Information Ethics Fellow, 2006-07, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, UW-Milwaukee <http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/ethics.html> Co-Editor, International Journal of Internet Research Ethics http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/ijire.html Co-chair, CATaC conferences <www.catacconference.org> Vice-President, Association of Internet Researchers <www.aoir.org> Professor II, Globalization and Applied Ethics Programmes <http://www.anvendtetikk.ntnu.no/pres/bridgingcultures.php> Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23