VIEWS OF STUDENTS ABOUT THE USE OF SECOND LIFE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) such as Second Life (SL) are experiencing a rapid growth in the number of applications with educational potential. SL provides a space for constructivist learning, socialization, exploration, discovery, and creativity. The communicative, social nature of virtual learning allows students to demonstrate the skills and strategies they have acquired through utilization of social technology tools. This study investigates higher education students‘ perceptions and experiences about Second Life in Educational Software Course at a Turkish State University. The aim of the study is to determine the perceptions, opinions and attitudes of students about use of this virtual environment for educational purposes. The research involved in-depth interviews with fifteen students using a semi-structured interview format. The findings represent student perceptions from a sufficiently diverse range of education faculty and educational software course.