The Second Life platform is a virtual environment parallel to our own material life. In the platform’s online world, you might climb a flight of stairs to or hover over a spacious colorful library, a computer lab or a classroom. You might ascend to a second floor to an observation area that overlooks a basketball court. Or you might carry on up to a third floor and find yourself in a virtual auditorium with other virtual people just like you performing Shakespeare’s plays. The virtual world that is Second Life is so fascinating that, the more of it you experience, the more curious you become to discover even more surprising spaces. Avatars in Second Life can lead lives that are completely different from those of their real-life counterparts. Philip Rosedale, the developer of Second Life, stated: “It is there to be different. So, be different. Be yourself, nothing else. Set yourself free. Change your mind and your appearance. Be anyone you want.”
On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Mrs. Heyam AL Hayek discussed the implications of the platform in a webinar entitled “Second Life Applications and Investing in Virtual Worlds to Overcome the Impacts of Social Distancing”. The webinar was held from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. Makkah local time (GMT+3).
At the commencement of the webinar, Mrs. Hayek stressed that material space is no longer a requirement for social phenomena, nor is its absence an impediment to teaching, learning, or gathering in groups. In a time of social distancing, virtual environments are a gift to humanity, she said.
During the webinar, Mrs. Hayek described the Second Life platform as a leader in the virtual community. She highlighted the enormous potential of this technology to secure virtual social sharing, especially in teaching and learning environments, as a practical solution to the restrictions imposed by the need for social distancing. The webinar also examined several activities of Second Life residents, with a special focus on its successful applications for e-learning.
Key themes of the webinar were as follows:
- The development of the Second Life platform.
- Second Life concepts, such as the nature of a “virtual resident.”
- The moral, privacy and security considerations of being a Second Life resident.
- The potential uses of Second Life in economic and social fields, with a particular focus on its applications for teaching and learning.
- The NOVA Island and Science Circle models and spaces for science communication in Second Life.
The webinar was attended by an elite audience of specialists, professionals and stakeholders from various countries who showed a great interest in the relevance of new virtual spaces to the library and information fields. Participants raised several questions – in particular, how to access the Second Life platform; how library, information and higher education institutions might leverage its potential; and the opportunities available for working and learning remotely.
At the conclusion of the webinar, Naseej Academy’s general supervisor Prof. Dr. Abdallah Metwally extended his deep appreciation to Mrs. Heyam AL Hayek for her knowledgeable presentation on Second Life. Dr. Abdallah said: “We should not consider the virtual world as an alternative reality to our own real world where we can craft everything. Rather, it is a tool that enables us to create an artificial world that can boost our understanding of our real world and help us find optimal solutions to its challenges.”
To watch the recorded webinar:
https://youtu.be/FznMQVydZyE
Naseej Academy is a not-for-profit initiative that serves as a platform for raising awareness of relevant challenges and technology advances in relation to digital transformation in the education and knowledge sectors in the Arab world through awareness activities and career development programs as part of Naseej’s commitment to supporting the knowledge community throughout the region.
Naseej Academy organized an online webinar entitled : “Second Life Applications and Investing in Virtual Worlds to Overcome the Impacts of Social Distancing”. On Wednesday, March 31, 2021. from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. Makkah time (GMT+3).
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