An article from me about Second Life

Webber, S. (2010) "Investigating modes of student inquiry in Second Life as part of a blended approach." International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments, 1 (3), 55-70.
"This article discusses activities carried out in Second Life (SL), the virtual world, as part of a compulsory class ("Information Literacy") in the first year of an undergraduate programme. The paper aims to identify the contribution of SL to the students’ learning environment and to an Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) approach to programme design. The reasons for taking an IBL approach are explained in relation to institutional and disciplinary goals. The paper reflects on the contribution of the three key learning environments (the classroom, WebCT and SL) to students’ learning. SL is evaluated in relation to a conceptual framework of IBL. It is concluded that SL has made a contribution to students’ achievement of learning outcomes from the class, and has facilitated the development of students’ inquiry skills. In conclusion, further avenues for developing research and teaching are identified."
The articles in this issue also include one from Diane Nahl on information behaviour in Second Life: "Affective load and engagement in second Life: experiencing urgent, persistent, and long term information needs" (pages 1-16)