Second Life (SL) is an online virtual world and it launched on June 2003. . Second life is not a game as such as it does not have any set objectives or goals, rather it is a free and open world for residents to explore, create and interact with avatars and other objects. It is a 3D-based user generated content which has its own virtual currency which is exchangeable with real world currency.
SL has a gamut of uses for teaching and learning as teachers may use SL as a learning space for creating content such as objects, environments and avatars for students to explore, enquire, create and reflect. Community building and collaboration is the key for students to learn and engage as means to acquire 21st century skills hence SL offers a testbed for students to exercise learning by teaching and self-regulated learning through designing their own creations, objects and lines of learning. There is research evidence for example using SL for delivering courses that investigate instructional design and assessment via SL with mixed results as technology infrastructure and the open-based learning tasks nature may inhibit the full learning potential as exhibited in real classrooms.
Other studies have focused on problems and challenges that teachers and students are experiencing when using SL. and revealed that students are experiencing problems with communication, project types - visual vs. non visual, to align with SL technology, addressing student's misconceptions, student's motivation and student's process. Tracking students learning processes and progress was key in using SL as a learning tool.
Many commentators perceived SL as an early version of a metaverse as it has developed its own norms, history and it comprises an interesting case study in how virtual communities evolve over time. All immersive experiences share something in common. They allow for people to be engaged, expressive and interactive to do what they please with no restrictions and boundaries. SL is considered as a an early version of a metaverse and could act as the basis for building the metaverse concept even further. Areas that could see further development is the the role of avatars in the VR and how they resemble social identities, intrinsic and extrinsic personality traits and their influence in interacting, learning and socialising with other avatars.