ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by introducing Second Life, and then presents different examples of museum and higher education's (HE) uses of Second Life. It argues that the possibilities for communication, action and shared creation in Second Life offer a far wider spectrum of possibilities and potential for design education than has been adopted. However, Second Life also gained significant attention in the context of research into distant learning environments as well as museum communication. The chapter highlights particular examples of museum and HE activity in Second Life, as well as their implementation of concepts for learning in the context of both HE and museum education. It aims to compare HE and museum uses of Second Life in order to discuss their approaches and to point out similarities and differences. The chapter concludes that this research is worth undertaking in order for HE institutions and museums to benefit from the full potential of communication, action and shared creation that Second Life offers.
