Imagine two business people, half a world apart, meeting in a virtual world. Virtual reality goggles allow them to see each other in three-dimensional space, headsets let them hear in stereophonic sound, and a haptic bodysuit that fills with thousands of air bubbles simulates the pressure of a handshake or the exchange of documents. Read more
Toronto, Ontario — Bond Academy is a private, co-educational, non-denominational independent school with students from Montessori Casa to Grade 12. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$13,000 to $34,500
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
550
Avg. Class:
10 to 15
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Maple, Ontario — Balanced Academics, Arts, Athletics & Student Wellness. We value best practices & evidence-based approaches. University preparatory & 21st Century Tech-Rich & Future Proof school. Enriched and rigorous curriculum. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$15,500 to $19,500
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
200
Avg. Class:
12 to 18
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Rosseau, Ontario — Through extraordinary learning opportunities rooted in meaningful outdoor education experiences in our unique natural environment, RLC graduates develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to take on any challenge. View School Profile.
Grades:
6 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive
Tuition:
$22,700 to $66,300
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
120
Avg. Class:
15 to 18
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Ajax, Ontario — Cambridge International Academy offers an enriched curriculum from grades one to twelve in Downtown Ajax. Central to the school’s philosophy is the belief that all students are capable of success. View School Profile.
Grades:
1 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive
Tuition:
$10,650 to $12,650
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
0
Avg. Class:
6 to 10
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Toronto, Ontario — Prestige School offers programs from junior kindergarten to grade 12 in Toronto. Its average class size is 10 to 18 students. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$12,750 to $17,000
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
290
Avg. Class:
10 to 18
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Waterloo Region (Breslau), Ontario — St. John's-Kilmarnock School offers enriched educational programming for students from Junior Kindergarten – Grade 12 through its accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Discover the possibilities. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$18,980 to $71,620
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
425
Avg. Class:
10 to 18
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Toronto, Ontario — Our vision: Encourage life-long Georgians ready to use their scholarship, compassion, conscience and courage to make a difference. Our mission: To challenge and inspire each boy to become the best version of himself. View School Profile.
Grades:
3 to 12 (Boys)
Type:
Progressive
Tuition:
$34,500
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
426
Avg. Class:
16
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Ottawa, Ontario — Elmwood School is Ottawa's pre-eminent school for girls from PreK to Gr. 12. Our high academic standards, small class sizes and safe, supportive environment ensure that each girl is inspired to reach her full potential. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Progressive, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$15,540 to $29,700
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
370
Avg. Class:
15 to 17
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Oakville, Ontario — Oakville's SMLS continues to be a premier independent school for girls Preschool to Grade 12 since 1891. "Millie" graduates take on the world with confidence and the knowledge that they can do anything. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Progressive, Reggio Emilia
Tuition:
$20,000 to $30,160
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
550
Avg. Class:
Varies
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The Bishop Strachan School is a leading independent JK-Grade 12 day & boarding school for girls. Students build the academic skills to thrive at university and beyond. Over $1.6 million available in financial assistance.
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We value partnership with parents, creating a genuinely warm and friendly community. We raise the academic bar on academic excellence, and expectations of character, helping the boys become the best that they can be.
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Ontario eSecondary School (OES) offers fast, flexible and fully online courses supported by certified staff with free 24/7 tutoring. 8/10 of our students achieve over 85% in their course(s).
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Greenwood College School in Toronto offers programs for Grades 7 through 12. Its average class size is 15 to 19 students.
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Acadecap International School (Académie de la Capitale), an IB World School, offers bilingual and/or English programmes from JK to Grade 12. Students thrive in a growth mindset environment and a culture of excellence.
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We go beyond curriculum expectations to provide opportunities for students to earn admission into their choice of university using our AP accreditation, staff expertise and individual goal setting in small classes.
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ATI delivers a powerful education for independence, to develop curious, self-motivated adolescents who thrive in school and in life.
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Blyth Academy Downsview Park offers outstanding education coupled with unique opportunities for student-athletes to engage in sports-specific and fitness training throughout their regular school day.
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RCA is committed to providing its students with the opportunity to learn in a safe, caring, Christian environment. Class sizes are limited (16 max.) to ensure individual attention and personalized teaching.
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We understand the importance of developing a well rounded individual. Our Tech, Art and Sport Expert Streams are integrated with the Academic curriculum to amplify our students’ growth into capable and confident adults.
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Markham, Ontario; IB School; OSSD; OSSD online credit course; NOIC ACADEMY’s annual university enrolment rate is 100% and more than 85% of graduates are admitted by University of Toronto.
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Beginning in Grade 8, our unique Shawnigan journey purposefully guides students through a distinct, unparalleled and bold educational experience on our stunning waterfront campus on Canada’s beautiful West Coast.
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TA’s award-winning faculty are recognized for their innovative teaching practices, learners are engaged, and diversity is celebrated. TA students work collaboratively and independently to reach their full potential.
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Our intercultural environment offers an individualized approach to learning and highly differentiated instruction, with emphasis on STEM+A & AP courses. Our students enjoy a dynamic academic & residential life program.
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The London School offers grades 7-12 personalized education in an alternative program that addresses the needs of secondary school students who may thrive in a small community of learners while working toward graduation.
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Prestige School offers individualized programs from pre-school to grade twelve in Richmond Hill with an average class size of ten students.
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Virtual High School has been a trusted leader in online education since 2001. We help over 8,000 students succeed each year with fully online, self-paced courses and unparalleled student support.
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STEAM and experiential learning are at the heart of our program, making learning at BH both dynamic and meaningful. With a focus on post-secondary guidance and internship, BH girls graduate with purpose.
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The OOS is a 21st Century school that prepares students for a 21st Century Economy. To us, teaching students Curriculum based Skills is as important as helping them develop the 21 Century Competencies tomorrow needs.
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Blyth Academy The Glebe focuses on personalized education, small class sizes, and strong student support for Grades 9-12. Big experience in a small school! Part of community of nine Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario.
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The Giles School has small class sizes, leadership programs and intensive STEM learning that support both immersion and introductory language programming in English, French and Mandarin.
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Columbia International College is Canada’s largest private boarding school, offering Grade 9 to 12 programs.
#1 in scholarships awarded by universities.
The University of Toronto's official Global Partner School.
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Edelweiss Private Academy offers elementary education to students with ASD and other exceptionalities, maintaining small teacher to student ratios. We promote strong academic, physical and social-emotional development.
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First school of its kind in the world. We are unique in everything we do. It is time for thinking outside of the box and raising a new generation of leaders, innovaters, inventors and entrepreneurs.
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Guidepost is a new Montessori school coming to Toronto, serving children from 10 weeks to 12 years old. We offer year-round programming and rolling admissions into our programs to meet the needs of every family.
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Trafalgar Castle offers a close-knit, academically challenging environment where girls feel a strong sense of belonging and discover their unique talents and interests.
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Heuristic & autodidactic, inspired by Sudbury & democratic models. Students are self-directed, holistically empowered. Voluntary attendance, year-round calendar, agency, & consent inspire free learning.
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Aspengrove School is the only independent, non-denominational, co-educational school in Nanaimo, BC. Our school teaches the International Baccalaureate Curriculum through a team of passionate faculty to JK - Grade 12.
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Providence Academy is the only Private French Catholic School offering a trilingual program of study in Ontario with classes from nursery to grade eight. Tuition: $8,800-10,300. Extracurricular activities: $600-$650.
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Through individualized education, mentorship, and counselling we tailor our environment to ensure all students feel comfortable and cared for, so they stay actively engaged on their educational journey.
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Astolot Educational Centre is a day school with grades 1 to 12 in Ottawa, Ontario. Classroom teacher-student ratios are 1 to 10. Students have the ability to reach their full potential with Astolot programming.
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As a Cambridge School, we teach a curriculum that sets the global standard for education designed to help students develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning.
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Our unique daily Advisor Program ensures every student is surrounded by a strong network of highly qualified, dedicated faculty and staff whose mission is to provide academic, emotional, and social guidance and support.
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Founded on the science of neuroplasticity, Arrowsmith Program provides students with the skills necessary to overcome their learning disabilities and transform their academic, cognitive, emotional and social lives.
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De La Salle College is a Catholic, co-educational, university preparatory school in Toronto from Grade 5 to 12, with average class sizes of 218students and tuition at $15,950.
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Miss Edgar's & Miss Cramp's School offers a Tier 1 education for girls from K-11, located in Westmount, Qc. We develop bold leaders and creative thinkers — equipping each girl to be the entrepreneur of her own future.
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Heritage Academy provides a multisensory learning environment and supports students with Dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and Anxiety in Grades 1 -12.
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Enriched spaces to explore and innovate, students are eager each day to learn and grow. With direct access to teachers, success is within reach. Local and global students all embrace Signet as a home away from home.
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At Blyth Academy Mississauga, we know each of our students and through our individualized approach, we can meet their needs and make school a great place to be. We're one of 10 Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario.
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Blyth Academy Lawrence Park is one of 10 Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario. Our campus located in midtown Toronto provides the warmth and community of a neighbourhood school.
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Every student has the ability to learn and achieve academic success. Through our subject specialist teachers, City Academy is committed to helping students reach their full potential with flexible, small-class learning.
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Reputed Diverse Traditional Day School. 100% of students graduate and move on to excel in their Post Secondary Education and life.
Extremely positive, caring, and knowledgeable teaching staff.
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Our outstanding faculty fosters learning through small classes, a focus on arts disciplines and introducing unique programs not offered elsewhere (e.g. Animation, Dance, Music, and Film & Video).
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At Haven, we equip our students with critical thinking skills, a global perspective, and a respect for core values of honesty, loyalty, perseverance, and compassion.
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Dewey’s educational goals follow the philosophies of John Dewey, preparing students through “student-centred learning" and "learning by doing", while emphasizing the cultivation of the "three New Liberal Arts".
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In the Ignatian spirit of care and concern for the individual, Loyola strives to develop a diverse and unique student experience while forming global-minded Men for Others.
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Our focus is to provide every child with the opportunity to recover from another year of COVID disruptions. Max of 8 to 10 students per class enables us to get children back on track with their learning.
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Keystone is a private bilingual school located in Toronto. We see teaching and learning as a journey, where students are active participants who grow and develop both, academically and socially.
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Merrick Preparatory offers grades 9-12 and a University Qualification Year to students preparing for successful admission to degree programs in the world's top universities, in a safe and secure family environment.
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Canada’s only independent, Catholic school for boys in Grades 7-12, taught in the Basilian tradition of forming the mind, body, and soul. Since 1852, we have educated students in goodness, discipline, and knowledge.
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Waterloo Independent Secondary School's emphasis is academics and university preparation. Courses are designed to engage students in projects as a window into the real world. Up to 16 students per class.
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Since 1861, The Sacred Heart School of Montreal, the city’s only all girls English Catholic high school, has been graduating exceptional leaders. We offer grades 7 to 12, day school and boarding.
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Braemar College offers a warm environment in downtown Toronto for students with high academic ambitions. Flexible terms allow students to join anytime, providing fast and focused pathways into Canada’s top universities.
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At G.B.MS, D.E.P.S and Durham Academy Secondary school focus is on each individual student and helping them meet their unique potential and goals. We believe in excellent customer service and families have a voice. Throughout the year we enhance our programs through program enhancement and enrichment. We also offer March Break and Summer Camps for working parents.
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Carrey Education is one of the top choices for parents as it provides academic programs tailored for individual students. Our goal is to help students build their character and discover new interests through learning.
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In addition to academics, our focus on mentorship, hands-on learning in and outside the classroom, and character development, will allow our students to thrive academically and personally as they discover who they are.
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Blyth Academy Orbit is our newest campus, offering grades 5 to 12. It revolves around the same principles and academic structure as our physical schools, but operates in the virtual space.
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St. Andrew's College offers programs from grades 5 to 12 in Aurora. Its average class size is 17 students.
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Our aim is to empower students with dyslexia and prepare them for success once strong foundational knowledge is acquired, and to do so while engaging multiple intelligences in Art, Design, Engineering, Sport and Drama.
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The King's College experience develops in students responsibility, accountability, and ownership of their own learning and a passion for making a difference. Students can attend in person or synchronously online.
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This may sound like science fiction, but such technology has arrived in the digital realm of the Internet, and signs point to this media becoming widely accessible in the coming years. According to a recent study, U.S. sales of virtual goods, a broadly defined category that includes software and digital services, have increased fourfold over the past two years and are expected to top $1.6 billion (U.S.) in 2010. (The global market is expected to hit $5.5 billion.)
One of these virtual products is Second Life, freely downloadable software that incorporates a rich array of virtual reality components, providing users with an enhanced sense of immersion or "realism." Using a three-dimensional digital environment, real-life individuals explore and interact using a customized avatar or animated 3-D body. What distinguishes this world from other virtual reality applications is that Second Life is user-defined; real people buy virtual land from Linden Labs, which created Second Life, and use their avatars to build their own simulated reality.
Many simulations mimic real life; others seem to come straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Once "in-world," players can use the search tool to find other virtual worlds for their avatar to teleport between, including Mayan ruins, modern Paris, and even Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Read our in-depth articles on online learning in schools
As an educational tool, Second Life's versatility in allowing students to use abstract knowledge within a simulated context increases the chance of gaining knowledge through "active" opportunities, so is conducive to long-term learning. While more gifted learners may interpret abstract concepts readily from text, the addition of speech, music, pictures, video, simulated kinesthetics and interpersonal situations appeals to a wider range of learning styles. For example, a math student learning the Pythagoras theorem could calculate and create shapes with precise measurements, using this information to build a virtual pyramid. The student could then integrate a history lesson, using graphics and sound to enhance the realism, providing other virtual visitors with a guided tour through the tombs. Such a cross-disciplinary approach would enrich a student's conceptual network, providing a multitude of neural avenues to retrieve information, further improving long-term recall.
With such a vast array of environments to visit and create, Second Life provides educators with a new approach to hands-on learning; students can conduct virtual surgeries, manipulate virtual molecules, visit planets or travel back in time and interact with historical characters within the context of a foregone civilization. The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination. Second Life also has the look and feel of a video game, so appeals to students who are highly motivated to learn within this environment.
Worldwide, well-recognized universities and colleges have been creating virtual campuses to complement classroom learning. In England, medical students at London's Imperial College can now train using a fully equipped virtual hospital in which they interact with and diagnose patients, order X-rays and perform virtual surgeries. The University of Texas is incorporating all of its 16 campuses in creating the world's largest undergraduate virtual learning environment. Other institutions found in Second Life include Princeton University, Harvard University, the University of Western Ontario and the International Society for Technology in Education.
With an average of 750,000 users logging close to 4 billion hours monthly and spending $600 million (U.S.) in 2009, Second Life has become a world within a world. Its economy is very real, sporting its own currency–Linden dollars–that can be cashed out into U.S. dollars. It is an environment in which residents can explore, travel, socialize, be entertained, build and learn. However, because Second Life has a "rated R" factor and includes participants from across the globe, some with quirky idiosyncrasies, it is inappropriate for students under 18.
To minimize the risks inherent within the adult world of Second Life, Linden Labs launched Teen Second Life in early 2005, creating a virtual environment for teenagers under age 17. Teachers who seek access to Teen Second Life with their students must first submit to a background check by Interpol, their police department or Ascertain, a private company that conducts screening and investigation reports. Upon approval, a teacher's "adult world" avatar is transferred to the teen world, where it is clearly identified as adult. When a teenager turns 18, their avatar is automatically transferred out of the teen world into the adult version of Second Life.
Recently, Lower Canada College (LCC) in Montreal, Quebec, explored the educational possibilities of Teen Second Life. Interestingly, due to the game's tighter restrictions, the virtual environment evolved differently from that of the adult world. Many collaborative projects evolved between schools with shared academic objectives, and some schools joined their islands together to form larger continents. For example, Global Kids, a group committed to working with inner-city urban youth, uses virtual reality to educate students about foreign policy issues and international relations.
Skoolaborate is another collaborative project on Teen Second Life with a rapidly growing membership, with participating schools developing projects accessible to all residents, thus forming a global campus. Established by Westley Field, the director of online learning at MLC School in Sydney, Australia, the Skoolaborate community began three years ago with six schools. It has since expanded to 45 schools and educational organizations, with the participation of up to 150 teachers and 4,000 students. Skoolaborate is only accessible to students and teachers from member schools, providing an additional layer of security.
What is particularly appealing about Skoolaborate is that it was conceived with the intent of providing students and teachers with an exceptional complement of online support tools and learning resources. When a school develops a virtual reality project, it also builds an array of online training tools that are readily accessible to all residents. Given Lower Canada College's research and development in online learning, Skoolaborate provided us with an ideal venue in which to learn and share with other schools.
Last spring, LCC students began a project that promoted the learning of French. Required to read a French novella, students then rewrote several short scenes to be performed theatrically in Teen Second Life. Students built elaborate sets, acquired costumes and designed props. Other students, as part of a virtual audience, observed the performance, which was recorded and posted on the Internet. Though relatively simple, this first attempt was fun and fascinating for students. This year, LCC drama teacher Natasha Hart will join French teacher Mona Chidiac and me to enhance the performances and facilitate the production of custom-designed costumes and virtual sets.
The academic and social learning opportunities available in a virtual world such as Teen Second Life are numerous and often unexpected. For Westley Field, watching somewhat reclusive students become social butterflies in a virtual world, using their avatar's anonymity to overcome some of their social fears, has been remarkable. Academically, students' ability to design, measure, build, collaborate and then walk through their creations with friends from around the globe is another of the extraordinary learning opportunities. Rarely would you expect to hear a Teen Second Life student say, "But sir, when will I ever use these math concepts in the real world?" The conception and design of virtual reality projects provides students with many opportunities to apply abstract concepts. For those 80 per cent of students whose strength is not primarily linguistic, but rather visual-spatial, kinesthetic, logical, musical, interpersonal or intrapersonal, the richness of cues available in a virtual world provides a venue that evens the playing field for all learning styles and interests.
Read our other in-depth articles on online learning in schools |
The progressive Kindergarten program at Hudson College [Read more]
