SL encourages building through a simple but powerful building tool that does not require exclusive skills and that offers real-time realistic renderings through lighting and texturing effects (O’Coill & Doughty, 2004; Weber, Rufer-Bach, & Platel, 2007).
SL is elaborated by the participation of its users in which they are able to interact in the environment with an avatar. The avatar, which is the visual representation of the user, is manipulated with a keyboard and a mouse. SL enables real-time interactions and that offers its users the possibility to build virtual spaces and objects, and to personify their avatars through a user-friendly interface (Hendaoui, Limayem, & Thompson, 2008). Users are able to navigate by walking, flying and teleporting between spaces; other movement types such as jumping and running are also available. Users are able to view the 3D environment through the avatar, i.e. first-person viewpoint, or over the avatar, i.e. third-person viewpoint in which they see the avatar. Navigation in SL is controlled by the keyboard and the direction of view is changed by the mouse.