How Virtual Classrooms Are Changing the Face of Education: Using Virtual Classrooms in Today's University Environment

While the fundamental principles of education still provide the foundation of how educators guide their students in Australian universities, the tools provided by new technology offer enormous opportunities to enhance education. This paper explores the common and emerging social computing tools used in universities today. To some extent these tools are 'old hat' because of the rate of change of technology. Newer tools will be explored in more detail which may challenge the concept of traditional education. The question of the effective use of tools in higher education is discussed. The virtual world of Second Life will be examined to see whether it can enhance the learning experience for higher education students. Currently in Australia there are very few institutions using Second Life as an instructional tool. However, some international institutions have been using Second Life for several years.