Reflections on Affordances in Second Life for Virtual Patients

I know little about Second Life, and the potential that it may offer in educational contexts. Thus I was intrigued with Dr. Kopp's presentation as it provided me with an introduction to a new tool, as well giving me an overview of her research and professional interests. My reflections are based on her presentation and my review of her draft paper Affordances in Second Life for Virtual Patients (2009).

My reflections:

1) finding a research topic and selecting the research design:
Dr. Kopp's own experience and knowledge of virtual simulation approaches, in particular with Second Life, where factors that seemed to influence her response to the paper by (Cook & Triola, 2009). And her specific critique and questioning of the findings of Cook and Triola influenced the approach to her study. I appreciate her paper as an example of how to respond to the work of others, in order to validate or refute their claims.
2) further thoughts about the 'continuum' model:
Cook and Triola (2009) offer a linear continuum model for comparison of approaches to patient simulation, with traditional instruction on one end, and experience with a real patient on the other. Three alternative models are presented in a rank order, from less effective, to more effective, in simulating a real patient. In Dr. Kopp's final analysis she states "The results of the comparison across virtual patients in Second Life, standardized patients, and human patient simulators does not seem to support a continuum of competency with virtual patients at the low end". If I understand her analysis correctly, the continuum model itself could be questioned, not just the ordering of options from least to most effective. While Dr. Kopp makes the clear case that 3D virtual patient models are not at the low end of the continuum, I believe she also makes a case for questioning the value of a continuum. Each instructional option may be best suited to certain tasks, equal to other options in some tasks, and have specific constraints. These are the factors that should guide the choice of selection, and hence I am not convinced that a continuum serves any value.
3) increased knowledge about second life and its potential application:
I've not been on Second Life, and had no personal interest to consider this. That being said, I have spent much time, on my journey to selecting a doctoral research topic, considering how as a practitioner I have come to know what I know from my disaster management experience, and why it is that training and education alone does not seem to substitute for this experience. And this has led me to consider how it is we might offer opportunities in educational contexts, through virtual simulation, of some of the reality of disaster experience.

Cook, D.A. & Triola, M.M. (June 2009). Virtual patients: a critical literature review and proposed next steps. Medical Education, 43: 303–311.
Kopp, G. (2009). Affordances in Second Life for Virtual Patients (Draft).