Where Knowledge & Education Are Always Free

TLE Educational Network Mission

"Virtual Education" is just coming out of its infancy on the internet. It poses many problems and certainly has a long way to go until it can become a "standard" in the way people gleam knowledge and degrees. However, it is clear that within the next 48-72 months Virtual Education will entrench itself within our lifestyles, allowing many people to study and learn a variety of subjects at their own pace and time.

TLE Educational Network actually has its "birthing roots" within Facebook. With the advent of Facebook & MySpace pushing the limits of "viral networking" coupled with "social networks" the first foray into this old-new era was within the Facebook Application framework. After developing six different Facebook applications, and forming a company to handle them & keep them up, there were some clear "trends" among users that could be established.

Among these trends was that members of these systems desired and actively sought "information" which met their needs and was free. Additionally, it was and is abundantly clear that there is a huge "source" of people who are willing to spend an hour or more a day within social networking sites as long as they do not feel as if they are "wasting" their time. (To be sure there were other lessons and trends gleamed, however this is not the post nor the time to get into a deep dissertation of the marketing and social trends which are becoming apparent from those using these sites.)

As time went on, I realized that "information" was the commodity. That selling it, since the days of Google, is no longer viable, unless one is selling specific information to a very specific market in need of that information. And to be honest, I always wanted to combine some high tech expertise with educational expertise gleamed over a life-time of being involved in both.

When I first entered Second Life, I immediately realized the populace of Second Life, though much smaller than that of Facebook, could be offered the same type of information albeit in a different "more graphic" format. SL actually lends itself to "virtual education" in that one can to a limited extent, actually "present" information using voice, graphics and a myriad of tools available.

I soon began teaching a couple of courses in SL, and was honestly surprised how many people would come back week after week, to study and learn. Indeed, with great fear and trepidation, I gave out homework for the first time. After all, the "students" were not getting any degrees, they were not paying, they had no "responsibility" as it were to the course - but as an experiment I wanted to see if any would do homework. To my shock, over 95% of the students in the first course I ever gave in SL turned in their homework, week after week.

It was then that the first thoughts of establishing a "University" in SL dedicated to "Virtual Education" in ALL its formats started to take hold. Whereas such a project on the Web would require millions of dollars in investment, I quickly realized in SL even with purchase of land and building etc. it would be in the thousands or tens of thousands and not millions.

True, the "populace" is not anywhere near the 150 million members FaceBook claims to have. And it is also a fact that SL and Facebook while being "social networking" are actually diametrically opposed in their philosophy of members. (Again this is not the time and place for this discussion.) Still it remained clear that there was a desire for knowledge in all its facets. It was also clear that this had to follow the Internet model - Information and Knowledge offered for Free.

However, all good intentions in this day and age need investment. In a conversation with someone I had known on-line from my blogging, specifically the Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen blog, I kind of described my idea. I had the time to do it, the desire, and the technical knowledge, but I was lacking the investment. From this conversation almost immediately, I was presented with what is known in high-tech investment circles as an "angel" investor (of course we need other "angels" willing to invest!). I was told to "go for it and see where it leads". And the first parcel of TLE Educational Network was purchased two days later.

From the very beginning the motto of TLE Educational Network was and remains "Where Knowledge & Education Are Always Free". Along the way there have been an incredible amount of challenges. For instance, whereas other places seem to have difficulties garnering students, we have difficulty in getting teachers who are responsible. TLE Educational Network allows almost any course on any subject to be taught, and we back these courses with a staff of 30+ today along with all the gadgets and 20+ different classroom venues. Students we have, it is the teachers, professors etc. that are difficult to get.

Today, TLE Educational Network stretches itself over 7 sims, including Creative Showcases, and the TLE Interactive World History Museum and the TLE Interactive Animal, Zoo, Marine Biology Museum and we have the TLE Educational Network Publishing House which has published 40+ books in SL based upon the research of our staff for the Museum, Zoo and TLE Around The World.

One rule: TLE Educational Network is NEVER static and we constantly are looking for new, innovative, and creative ideas to expand our reach and attractiveness.

Virtual Education In The Real World

Roots Of TLE Educational Network

TLE Educational Network