It’s all about education and collaboration, Pip and team tell us. And by all indications, there’s certainly no slow-down of schools using Second Life.

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Center for Ethics & Health Policy recently held its first simultaneous live and virtual discussion in Second Life. The Health Care Ethics Program set up the talk in a virtual coffee shop alongside participants at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. They discussed ethics in animal research. Fifteen people were at the center, while two avatars moderated the panel with a number of off-campus participants.

“We were so excited to bring the two audiences together,” said Ginger Fenwick, HCE’s academic adviser. “It adds a whole new dimension to student engagement.”

The event was so successful that another is being planned for October tied to the theme of ‘Ethics of Burning Man.’

At the University of Kentucky, the school celebrated the opening of its second year in Second Life with a recent exhibition on its island as well as at the campus’ William T. Young Library auditorium.

The event showcased how UK is using Second Life to facilitate student, faculty, and public interactions. The island, according to the UK Second Life blog, is primarily used for educational and research purposes, and UK has become one of the US leaders in using virtual platforms for educational purposes.

Cross-posted.