A review and synthesis of recent research in Second Life

Abstract

Purpose

Applications of online Second Life (SL) prevail over the world. The purpose of this paper is to make a review and synthesis of recent research studies on SL.

Design/methodology/approach

Documental analysis is employed. Totally, 135 research publications, published in 2006‐2008, are reviewed and synthesized.

Findings

Findings are as follows: the research studies on SL have been widened and deepened; SL has been widely applied in education and its research approach relies on descriptive methods; and SL has versatile charm for educators but pros and cons of SL in education simultaneously exist.

Research limitations/implications

Some articles might not be reviewed; authors did their best to collect data from relevant electronic databases.

Practical implications

This paper indicates the strengths and limitations of SL.

Originality/value

This paper identifies trends of recent research studies of as well as issues in using SL. Users and researchers of SL may realize trends of and issues in SL.

Citation

Fang, Y. and Lee, L. (2009), "A review and synthesis of recent research in Second Life", Interactive Technology and Smart Education, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 261-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/17415650911009236