Brave new world

Here are two articles from the Guardian. As far as I can see, they weren't linked to each other, but it's quite fun to view them as a pair. A glimpse into the future?

Online-only business foundation degree to launch

The University of Essex and education and training provider Kaplan are this summer to launch a business studies foundation degree which is completed entirely online.
Debbie Andalo Link

It's a world of possibilities

Virtual campuses are springing up in Second Life, as universities discover the advantages of cyberspace.
Jessica Shepherd Link

We're in the middle of our semester two exam period at the moment. I love the idea that in the future our invigilators will all need 3D cyberspaced alter egos. But who's to say they've not got them already?

For those with a healthy first life, and have no idea what I'm on about, Second Life is "a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 6,206,722 people from around the globe." Here's a cached copy of an FAQ from Oxford University on Second Life, with an academic angle, and here's a list of other institutions and organisations with an online presence there, and here's the obligatory link to Wikipedia.