The most recent issue of EDUCAUSE has a fantastic focus on Virtual Worlds in their Back to [Virtual] School issue Volume 43, Number 5, September/October 2008.“Whether it is Second Life or another virtual world, this foundational movement is not going away. The question to be addressed in the coming months and years is how higher education and, subsequently, individual institutions will determine the best way to continue to move forward with virtual worlds”
I highly recommend a read. I have grabbed for myself the PDF copies of “Virtual Worlds? Outlook Good” and “Educational Frontiers: Learning in a Virtual World“. You might like to pick out other articles for yourself.
judyoconnell.com 
Thank you for making these available. I will be reading them. As an educator who has not jumped in yet (created my SL character but have not devoted the time to showing up there) I am very interested in what it has to hold for the future of education.