It has been coming for some time now and no doubt there will be many forms of learning that are already on the table and being used by various communities, its just that they are not widely advertised.  For those of you familiar with Second Life, it will come as no surprise that techniques for learning have and are becoming available through the virtual medium. A majority of the tutorials are based around helping newbies in using the controls, designing and creating various objects, clothes, shoes etc. However Second Life has also been used by many universities and other academic institutions to teach various diciplines such as operational procedures in hospitals as an example.

With the above in mind, it is a big step forward by IBM to offer a virtual gaming (educational) experience that allows one to actually understand business aligned with IT through a strikingly Second Life type interface called INNOV8.

INNOV8 allows one to be a virtual person in an everyday virtual business environment, learning and no doubt making mistakes that will enhance both skills and understanding, ultimately transferring these into real life situations.The downside for the average user, is that this is not currently available, unless one is part of a academic institution. However, if INNOV8 proves to be a success, I see know reason why this method cannot be opened up to the everyday user. Of course, I do foresee a cost.