Second Life presented new opportunities for curriculum innovation in higher education. At its peak, over 171 colleges and universities from around the world were using this online virtual world as a cost-effective way to create customizable, media-rich environments for distance and online education. However, the use of Second Life by colleges and universities in the United States began to drop significantly, particularly as initial studies and evaluations of learning outcomes and experiences produced mixed results (Inman, Wright & Hartman, 2010). Steep learning curves, connection issues, social disruptions, and other barriers emerged that began to temper the initial enthusiasm for the learning platform. This paper uses the frameworks of Dwayne Huebner (2000) and Karen Ferneding (2004) to further theorize the possibilities and limitations of the space. By limiting themselves to technical and political language frameworks, educational users of Second Life often missed out on the rich possibilities of this virtual world.
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