What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Using Second Life in Education Essay Example for Free

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Using Second Life in Education Essay What are the benefits and limitations of using Second Life in Education? Use of the internet has increased exponentially in recent years, in both developed and developing countries, and educators are searching for ways of utilising the new technology and environment to enhance teaching and learning experiences. Second Life (SL) is a world which exists online. The world is complete with schools, universities, businesses and even criminal activity. As the use and popularity of SL grows, so too does the research regarding its viability as an educational tool. Both the apparent benefits and limitations have been considered in a variety of research papers (Baker, Wentz Woods, 2009; Taylor Chung, 2008). In order to determine whether SL is a useful option for educational institutions, the following aspects will be considered as part of this review: features of online learning, technical considerations and the overall potential uses. Some important features of online learning discussed by the authors include accessibility, popularity, and community. Access to online learning is an important aspect to consider, for both teachers and students. The flexibility of the online environment means that this type of technology can potentially be accessed at many different times and a variety of different places (Baker, Wentz and Woods, 2009). According to Baker et al. (2009), lecturers can make use of the technology by delivering their information via avatars. Taylor and Chung (2008) also consider the popularity of SL, and how this may encourage users to participate in online educational content. Indeed, as Baker et al. (2009) also suggest, students can be not only participants but can also â€Å"create their own content† (p. 60). They add that it is possible for students to meet together, attend discussion online and interact with tutors in an informal and relaxed way, as well as encouraging students who may otherwise be shy to have a ‘voice’. In this way they are building and sharing within their own communities and taking responsibility for their own learning. However, as Taylor and Chung (2008) assert, although SL might be popular, colourful, visual and interactive, students may not enjoy learning in this way, and using SL instead of more traditional methods may actually cause students to forget what they have learned. The authors suggest that the enjoyment of using an avatar and playing in SL may mean students do not focus on the aims of the lesson or lecture. Furthermore, Baker et al. (2009) suggest that there may be limitations of online interaction compared to face-to-face interaction. It is thus important for teacher to consider these issues before using SL. Not only that, there are also a few technical considerations such as cost and time, using SL and also technical knowledge been mentioned by the authors. Baker et al. (2009) claim that the cost of using SL could be differ. Anyone can use it for free yet there are also some charges for people to have a virtual land in SL. According to Baker et al. (2009), people need to consume time to get used to SL. There are initial times to create an avatar, control it, and communicate using computer. Taylor and Chung (2008) clarify that in order to get the benefits; people have to invest money and time for the programming content. Being failed to control avatar, learners might become de-motivated and not willing to use it. By using SL, Baker et al. (2009) remind teachers to consider the objective of online teaching, thinking if it is appropriate for the class or not, can they or the learners be familiarized with the technology and even developed new class management techniques. In fact, Baker et al. 2009) point out that the technical requirement of using SL is higher than basic requirement. Also, there might be some potential issues such as slow connection, slide show’s problem, and security issue. Taylor and Chung (2008) add that there are not a lot of document storages and the computer might get slow due to many graphics. In addition, the authors also insist that there are some overall potentials like new technology, uses in present fields and potential issues using SL in education and training purposes. Baker et al. 2009) reveal that SL is a new technology which launched in 2003, yet some educators already investigating the uses of SL in teaching and learning purposes. Its dominant is SL is not a game like Active Worlds, MMPORGs, and Whyville; it’s a space for social communication. There are some possible issues that people need to be careful as it may have serious effects. Students need to be informed the appropriate usage of the new technology–SL in learning. Besides that, they need to be taught the proper way to behave themselves and protect their privacy while using SL.  Furthermore, an emergency plan should be planned so that when the technology having problems and not performing well, students will not lost temper and cause severe impacts. Taylor and Chung (2008) suggest that SL is a powerful tool in helping training and development sectors. Nevertheless, they also discover that IBM still remains using text-based collaboration which leads to the efficacy of SL. It still has some difficulties to an effective transmission for instruction and content management. As a result, there are lots of potential to be found in the human-computer interaction, usability and instructional design. Through the articles reviewed it seems that the benefits and drawbacks of using SL are equal. Although SL can helps people in learning, people still have to pay much more efforts on it. To get used to SL, people have to spent money, time, and think out the appropriate way to use it wisely. Obviously, SL has the potential to facilitate people’s learning. In fact, to use it or not depends on the further research whether the benefits can overcome the limitations or not.

The Causes of Crime Essay -- Crime Violence Criminology Essays

The causes of crime seem to be indefinite and ever changing. In the 19th century, slum poverty was blamed; in the 20th century, a childhood without love was blamed (Adams 152). In the era going into the new millennium, most experts and theorists have given up all hope in trying to pinpoint one single aspect that causes crime. Many experts believe some people are natural born criminals who are born with criminal mindsets, and this is unchangeable. However, criminals are not a product of heredity. They are a product of their environment and how they react to it. This may seem like a bogus assumption, but is undoubtedly true. There is a study devoted to finding the causes of crime and what makes people criminals. This study is appropriately called criminology. There are two main theories which criminologists categorize causes of crime, and sometimes an individual would be subject to both their influences. Theories in the first group locate the causes of crime inside the individual, which focus on stress and other psychological factors. Conversely, theories categorized in the second group focus the causes of crime on factors that are out of the control of the certain individual. These influences are sociological. Some psychologists theorize that criminals are born with a predisposition towards mental illness. Even though this is a widely accepted idea, for a mental illness to come out, it has to be catalyzed by the person's environment. In other words, even if a person were born with the biological makings of a criminal, depending on how he was raised and how he lived life would determine if this inherent attribute would manifest. There needs to be an external cause to trigger the characteristic. Many criminologists are stuck on developing biological explanations to the make-up of criminals. These theories are often called "bad seed" theories. They hold that criminals are born and not developed. The most recently discovered "bad seed" theory is that some men are born with an extra Y chromesone that makes them more aggressive (Adams 157). The problem with this theory is if one of these men with the extra chromosome was raised in a way that would inhibit the individual's trait, you would never see the characteristics of this extra chromosome and it would just devalue this theory. Another problem with this theory is that there are criminals who just happen to ... ...ves them the confidence they need to continue their criminal behavior without fear of getting caught. And there are enough people in a city that no matter how you act; you could find people just like you. If you have a tendency to get in trouble a lot, you could easily find someone to encourage your actions. A social status, whether you like it or not, can drag you into or out of a life of crime. A dead-broke bum with no house is forced to steal food in order to stay alive, and steal clothing in order to stay warm. Of course, you could suffer and not break any laws, but the immediate need would usually outweigh the consequences. You may not be literally forced into a life of crime, but it just might be the best choice you have. Being in such need makes stealing seem much more attractive than it would if you had no need to steal. As stated in the preceding paragraphs, criminals are influenced and not born. You can easily infer this on your own, but with the help of this report it seems much more obvious. The most obvious and consistent influence in the development of a person seems to be the environment in which they live in and the influence, or lack thereof, of their parents.

Nissim Ezekiel Treatment of Poetry Essay

Nissim Ezekiel’s poem â€Å"Enterprise† describes a metaphorical journey toward a specific goal. The travelers on this journey begin in a real physical place, a desert, and argue about how to cross this challenging landscape. One of the members of the group, who writes the most stylish prose, goes his own way. The rest of the group is left on its own. Some quit the team. The group is attacked by travelers, and over time become unmoved by anything they witness. Fatigue and the stresses of travel have settled in and many of the members of the group cannot go on. By the fifth stanza, the picture ahead is grim. The enthusiasm has faded and their burdens are heavy. Their vision is clouded with the disintegration of the group and their exhaustion. The well-focused goal presented in the first stanza is lost. The travelers are a disorganized group of aimless wanderers unaware any longer of the original motivation for their expedition. Their observations at this point in the poem are about trivial things. In the last stanza, the travelers reach their destination; however, it is not quite home. Ezekiel concludes that this type of expedition is not a worthy undertaking; living â€Å"at home† with inner satisfaction is the greatest achievement of all. The travelers’ consider their journey and have moments of introspection. They come to the conclusion that their expedition has been neither pioneering or notable for any reason. They had thought their journey would make a mark in history. The only problem is that others have made this journey before. It is nothing new. The journey of â€Å"Enterprise† is a metaphor for life and our focus on the destination as the only means for our goals. Some critics have noted that Ezekiel’s â€Å"Enterprise† is also his attempt to bring together two â€Å"homes†: his place of birth and his journey to a European city. His exploration of the idea of â€Å"home† is sophisticated enough to be compared to the same themes in the poetry of Robert Frost, for example.

The Case Of Captain Alden - 846 Words

Furthermore, according to Boyer and Nissenbaum, â€Å"it [was] clear that the girls themselves did not actually know most of the people they named.† This brings out the possibility that the trails were biased towards certain people. For example, in the case of Captain Alden, most of the afflicted girls were unable to recognize him until â€Å"a man standing behind one of the [girls] whispered into her ear.† In this case the girls were clueless on who Alden was until somebody identified him. Interestingly enough, when the girl’s interrogator asked her how she was able to identify Alden she claimed that, â€Å"the man told her so.† This account helps to show how some people could had an influence on the outcome of the trials. When a victim couldn t identify the specter, people around would them bombard the victim with names. Some accounts also seem to suggest that Samuel Parris and his supporters terrorized villagers and even had some controlled over the t rials. Considering that his two daughter were among the first to become â€Å"bewitch† it would make sense for Samuel Parris to take advantage of situation to get certain people out of the way. A closer examination of these cases lead historians to believe that neighborhood tiffs between opposite sides of Salem had a role in the escalation of trials. According to Boyer and Nissenbaum, There were fourteen accused witches who lived within the bounds of Salem (35) Most of the accused were considerate around the eastern side of the village. InShow MoreRelatedThe Open Window, By Hernando Tellez1321 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature from all around the world provide one. The themes of H.H. Munro’s The Open Window, Hernando Tà ©llez’s Just Lather, That’s All, and Alden Nowlan’s The Fall of a City, all relate to humanity, and our roles in society. 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