The Development of a Personal Learning Environment in Second Life

In this qualitative pilot study, the authors report on curriculum field trials within a personal learning environment (PLE) designed by a collaboration of academic researchers and nonprofit volunteers working together in the virtual world of Second Life. The purpose of the PLE is to provide learners less likely to have access to educational opportunities with a means to create a ‘new life’ in the real world, through a basic web-based curriculum and an advanced Second Life curriculum. Field trials of the Second Life curriculum were held with youth from underserved populations (n=6) to identify participant characteristics that facilitate success with the curriculum. Performance on instructional outcomes was examined in addition to a participatory action research methodology (PAR) that was employed with participants as co-researchers. To protect identities, the authors use a case study approach to track one composite participant/co-researcher through the curriculum.