ASTD Enters Brave New World of Second Life

If you have yet to create an avatar as a trainer, now is your chance.

To capture the growing audience of learning professionals who are seeking new methods to interact with a larger, more dispersed population, ASTD is creating an island on Second Life.

The platform has caught on with users who are drawn to its 3D visual effects and lifelike interaction features. The island will be a completely branded ASTD experience. Initially, the ASTD island will be exclusive to members with possible expansion in the future. It will be officially launched at the ASTD TechKnowledge 2008 conference in February, but members already active in Second Life can participate in an initial testing phase.

“Second Life is one of many forms of 3D virtual communication that can improve learning exchanges between people who would otherwise be separated by geography, personality, or work,” says Tony Bingham, president and CEO of ASTD. “ASTD believes that 3D communications tools offer the potential for a richer learning experience than 2D tools, such as email, instant messaging, and blogs.”

The virtual worlds offer a new platform with unlimited potential to link people within organizations that most users are only beginning to understand. Just as radio, television, and the Internet transformed communication, 3D virtual platforms are the latest innovation that will transform all fields, especially the learning profession.

“It’s so much more than a virtual classroom,” says Anthony Allen, director of digital media for ASTD. “Second Life is not just a 3D version of real life or a 2D activity. The best thing about it is the ability to role play. If you have a sales force of 20,000, you can reach out to all of those people. Everybody can practice their pitch.”

Allen says that in contrast with other high-resolution games, Second Life offers users the ability to express a wide range of emotions, such as laughing, shrugging, or running away. To counter concerns about the program’s speed and complexity in navigating the site, Allen advises visitors to enter Second Life with hardware that is suitable for high-resolution games that kids play and not on an old laptop.

“Many users have gone there, tried it once, and left,” Allen says, acknowledging the difficulty users have with the platform. “We want to flatten the learning curve. We’ll make the process as seamless as possible so users will always know the next task. We want people to understand it and not get frustrated.”