Ohio University without Boundaries - Second Life Campus

Ohio University is among the first organizations to create a virtual campus in the new Second Life online community as an extension of their Ohio University without Boundaries program.  Second Life is an exciting new community where individuals can adopt personalities by the use of a customized avatar.  Once they have their avatar, users are able to walk into a community, in this case, a university campus, and interact and communicate with other people, while expanding their education.

Once signed in to the virtual campus, each person is assigned an avatar that they can personalize in their own, individual way.  They can choose their clothes, their hair color, and what their overall appearance is. 

Ohio University's Virtual Campus is showcased in an interesting and fun video.  This video, written and produced by Christopher R. Keesey, Project Manager/Marketing and Learning Applications - Ohio University without Boundaries, displays the innovation and the possibilities that exist within a virtual community campus. 

Mr. Keesey states, in his voice over from the video, "Don't just dream of flying, spread your wings and explore the Ohio University Second Life Campus - where discovery is limited only by your own imagination."  This quote, combined with the video itself, pulls in the viewer and easily establishes how Second Life, and the virtual campus, can create boundless opportunities.

Imagine the possibilities if this were used by alumni associations to engage alumni.  While the outbound program is doing this for education, an alumni office could use this for virtual reunions, meetings, and any other event to pull alumni back to their alma mater.      

Second Life supplies the ability to create a virtual "second life."  From purchasing land, to buying products and services, to leasing your land to others, to anything else the imagination can dream up.  The site is generating 100 million dollars a year in sales and it is truly an exciting and innovative way to connect with others.  With three million members already, this is definitely a community that is up and coming.

Ohio University has taken the lead in establishing their Second Life virtual campus, and in doing so, the possibilities for their students are endless.