The University of New Orleans will begin offering classes this fall on its virtual campus in Second Life, said Merrill Johnson, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Second Life is an immersive, persistent social world developed by California-based Linden Labs, and is an outgrowth of the sophisticated gaming technologies that have recently captured the enthusiasm of cyber-enthusiasts, Johnson said. In Second Life, users can create their own environments and their own content. There are already thousands of Second Life sites, from commercial, cultural and social locations to the more than 250 academic islands.

About 6.5 million users populate Second life as three-dimensional action-figures, or avatars, the majority of which belong to people outside the United States. Second Life is not a game and has a functioning economy that generates more than $1 million each day in real money.

UNO has joined this burgeoning world and created New Orleans Island, which occupies about 16 acres of virtual real estate that can be shaped and populated with buildings to create a visually appealing and functional campus. A temporary structure is in place to house the two classes to be offered this fall, a geography course and a business management course.

Students and faculty members will participate in "normal" classes using their avatar forms, taking the increasingly popular online learning platform to a new level of sophistication. Because UNO's Second Life campus provides a three-dimensional presence, not available in the two-dimensional world of standard online class experiences, each student will be able to see and communicate with ever other student and teh teacher in real time.

In addition to course offerings, UNO's virtual campus will be used to support administrative and research needs. Visitors to the site will ultimately be able to browse through displays that link to the Library, Admissions and other real-world functions of the University.

Individuals already enrolled in Second Life who wish to tour the UNO temporary facility, can type "New Orleans Island" in the map search feature and teleport.

For information about access or other Second Life details, call Johnson or Anthony Cipolone, executive office assistant, in the UNO College of Liberal Arts at (504) 280-6266.