Learning, eLearning, Serious Games, Virtual Worlds

IP: Do-it-Yourself Law

Get info on copyright and intellectual property here. Nolo provides legal information for consumers and small businesses. Nolo offers affordable, plain-English books, forms and software on a wide range of legal issues, including wills, estate planning, retirement, elder care, personal finance, taxes, housing, real estate, divorce and child custody. Nolo also offers materials on human resources (HR), employment, copyright and intellectual property, and starting and running a small business. Read more now.

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MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) offers free course materials used at MIT. Watch lecture videos and demonstrations, get lecture notes, problem sets, labs and more. OCW does not grant degrees or certificates. Access now.

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Serious Games

Serious Games are also known by the name Immersive Learning Simulations (ILS). These are online learning modules that focus on learning objectives and problem solving but with gaming principles and components. In other words, Serious Games are for serious learners. Simulations usually represent a complex environment, system or process, that the employee (or learner) needs to master quickly and efficiently. Serious Games are a lot more engaging than "traditional" online learning and it's no wonder that they are currently so hot. PIXELearning is one of the best companies that specializes in Serious Games these days. Learn more about the topic here.

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Virtual Worlds: Second Life

Second Life by Linden Lab is one of the many 3D environments available today, and probably among the most popular. The client (or software) is a free download, and it's also free to use unless you want to buy your own piece of (digital) land or island. Once you register, you'll create your own digital representative known as "avatar." Note that there is a learning curve... so don't rush to leave Help Island until you are very comfortable with navigation, and walking, running, flying, and teleporting. Oh, if you find yourself under water, just fly up. From the moment you enter Second Life, you'll discover a fast-growing digital world filled with people, entertainment, experiences, learning and business opportunities. No wonder so many universities and school systems around the world use the Second Life Grid™ as a part of their educational programs. Very cool...
Read more about education in Second life here, or view highlights of some of the best "inworld" locations here.
See also this 6-min video by Dr. Karl Kapp about education in Second Life.
When you are ready, join Second Life and create your own avatar by filling up the form here.