My Sabbatical Rationale

Because information technology is a dynamic field, it seems that the curriculum is always in transition and adapting to this change requires constant research. The purpose of my sabbatical plan is to research, upgrade, and develop my technology skills with the new platform, Second Life, and to explore its impact on the office administration program. Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents. It provides for rich sensory immersive experiences, authentic contexts and activities for experiential learning, simulation and role-play, along with opportunities for collaboration and co-creation that cannot be easily experienced using other platforms such as Blackboard. Although many people today give quizzical looks when they hear the term avatar, by the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users and major companies are expected to have some virtual-world-type presence, according to Gartner Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based research company (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=503861). Consequently, Second Life offers a range of new and exciting possibilities for the community college. Since we are preparing our students for future positions, using Second Life as a platform for flexible delivery and online education assures our students will graduate with the skills used in the workforce.