The Potential of Second Life as a Platform for Learning: Student’s Perspective

Educational institutions of today are increasingly adopting various technologies, so as to enhance their teaching and learning activities. Second Life (SL) is one of such technologies being employed by educational institutions to create an environment that facilitates learning. SL is believed to facilitate engagement and conceptualization of knowledge. Its adoption in education and its enablement of learning has, however, been faced with challenges that require the understanding of its usefulness as a learning platform. This study, therefore, investigated the potential of SL as a learning platform, by investigating the perception of students on its usefulness as a learning platform. The study also investigated the challenges that come with the use of SL as a learning platform. The qualitative research method and the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) were adopted in this study. Using purposive sampling, the sample was drawn from amongst fourth-year information systems and technology (IS&T) students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Findings of the study reveal that SL is a useful learning platform and students identified it as a beneficial platform that improves their ability to be creative in their learning. Students, however, also identified the challenges of using SL to include inadequate training and insufficient information technology (IT) infrastructure. To address these challenges, they suggested adequate training and the provision of infrastructure to support the adoption of SL as a learning platform.