In a forum I participate, somebody asked:"Has anyone used Second Life as a training tool? Do any of you know of any training-specific companies who develop this technology and then integrate it into either ILT or online training?"
For those of you who doesn't know what Second Life is, Second Life (SL) is a free 3D virtual world (you have to be connected to the Internet) where several users can socialize, connect and create using free voice and text chat at the same time.
See more at their official website http://secondlife.com/
This was my answer to the question:
Back in 2005 I used SL as a part of the assignments in one of the courses of my Master in Educational Technology. At that time we had to create an instructional activity within SL.
Then in 2007 in the community college where I work[ed], a person had a similar initiative, and to my despair some of the same problems arose.
Even though was not in a corporate training environment, I think that the lessons learned in my master's project are totally transferable:
Lesson learned # 1 - You will need very good and updated computers
SL software consume a great deal of resources from the computers, you need new/powerful computers with great video cards. In both cases we had to use lab computers dedicated to that program, so they will not crash.
Lesson learned # 2 - First time users need time to learn how to move/interact in SL
In both cases people spend a lot of time customizing their own avatar (you can change all the possible things you can imagine - from your eyebrows, to the size and shape of your boobs).
Also learning how to move in the environment took some time (at the beginning many were naked and flying and crashing everywhere). in fact in my master in the second edition of that course, they pre-created avatars, and had a small workshop where people will solely learn how to walk, run, fly, grab objects, etc.
Lesson learned # 3 - For serious training is better have a "private" space
In order to have a private space, you will need to buy land and build a minimum place with objects based on your training needs. Otherwise if you have your class in any public space you can have anybody stepping in, interrupting and even boycotting your activity
Lesson learned # 4 - Don't be afraid to outsource "construction"
In my masters they decided for future editions create a virtual classroom. The learning curve to program/create the objects, houses, and artifacts was steep, so the teacher got some money to pay someone to do it. They found and hired the "builders" searching in SL forums.
Lesson learned #5 - Mastering SL requires time
Whoever is in charge to develop the training in addition to the instructional portion to design the activities, will need to learn the tool. That is time consuming, so is better allocate resources that can devote enough time to learn the capabilities of the SL environment and then create the instructional activities.
Lesson learned #6 - Use all the SL potential
SL will take time to develop and to have students get accustomed of how to operate/ interact in that virtual world, so don't design something that can also be done in more low tech solution (i.e. through chats or even asynchronous solutions).
Take advantage of the capabilities that SL has (i.e. walking, traveling, taking pictures, interact in different ways with others).
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