VIRTUAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE?
“If you learn about a culture … and your behavior changes in Second Life while you’re interacting with another culture, when you leave the virtual world these processes stay with you,” says Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab in Palo Alto, Calif.
Although virtual-reality advocates say this digital realm is no match for real life experiences, most argue that in the absence of traveling overseas, it is one of the best available means of cultural exchange.
Study abroad through Second Life
Christian Science Monitor, 7/2/2008
"Around the world, universities, and even the US Department of State, are turning to online virtual worlds to create cultural exchanges. In these immersive, 3-D environments, users from around the globe can collaborate in ways that were previously impossible."
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/07/02/study-abroad-through-second-life/
