Joe's+Virtual+Worlds+Wiki

=**__ //Education in Virtual Worlds// __**=

** Virtual Worlds are Formed ** For years, the holy grail of human-computer interface has been the idea of virtual worlds (VW), defined as “…a special type of 3D environment…in which a multitude of users from anywhere can be present at the same time and meet, communicate and navigate with avatars in a shared space, together with information and knowledge” (Hasler, Henn, Jacobi, Jost, Schmeil, Schwitalla, & Steinbusch, 2010, p.152). Also known as virtual reality, this concept of entering and interacting with a computer generated world burst onto the computer scene in the late eighties. Technology enthusiasts were treated to items like the Nintendo Power Glove for controlling games as well as places like Virtual World Entertainment that offered multiplayer “pod-based” games. Unfortunately, due to the computing power of the time, the reality was not nearly real enough, and virtual reality took a backseat to the Internet and other new exciting technologies.

** A Second Life with Second Life ** The rebirth of the virtual world came with creation of a website known as Second Life. “Second Life, or SL, is a 3-D Internet-based virtual world created by Linden Lab and populated by nearly 1,000,000 active users worldwide since 2003” (Dembo, 2008, para. 1). It didn’t require goggles or gloves, as it was not full immersion virtual reality. It did, however, allow users to enter a 3D-world and be represented by a self-created avatar. They had control of much of the environment and because of the Internet had the ability to interact with other people from all over the world. SL was a hit with thousands upon thousands of users and even had a virtual economy. It was hyped as the future of the Internet and virtual environments.

** Life Support for Second Life ** Second Life did not live up to the hype. It was fun and interesting, but in many ways limited. It often ended up being a hassle doing much of anything serious or productive. For example, if you wanted to chat, there are far easier ways of doing it, including heading back to the real world (Young, 2010, para. 4). Much of the excitement for the future potential of SL has died, except in one area, that of education.

** Education: a Second Life Success ** As often happens when things evolve, that which doesn’t work gets pushed by the wayside, and that which does flourishes. In Second Life, taking “classes” became one of the more series endeavors to those trying to use SL as a tool to enhance their first life. “Education is thriving in Second Life…Educators are exploring every possible tool the 3D virtual world offers and establishing best practices along the way” (Harrison, 2009, para. 2). SL became a sort of testing ground for how education might best work in a virtual world. VWs won’t replace other forms of learning; instead the application of VW technology will enhance the experience and transfer of learning (Cross, O'Driscoll, & Trondsen, 2007, para. 7). Universities began to use some of this virtual space to educate and found a fairly good deal of success. “Some faculty teach classes within Second Life, and others use Second Life as a supplement to traditional classroom environments and for enriching an existing curriculum” (Harrison, 2009, para. 9).

** Second Lifers Get a Second Opinion ** Even with the success of edu cation in Second Life, many instructors began to find certain difficulties with the SL format. “Moving around in Second Life can be so clunky that some professors and students have decided that it's just not worth the hassle” (Young, 2010, para. 4). Many have begun looking elsewhere for virtual space. Outside of the commercial virtual worlds such as //ProtonSphere// and //There//, some higher learning institutions are instead getting involved with VW worlds constructed mainly for education. There is quite a bit of excitement revolving around emerging virtual education sites like Open Cobalt, Open Simulator, and The Immersive Education Initiative, though it is too far early to know whether or not these will succeed (Young, 2010, para. 12).

** College Break Away ** As technology becomes easier to access and understand, some colleges are finding they want more control over their virtual learning environments. Though Second Life and other VWs offer control in the creation and manipulation of the environment, they give the user little control in the programming of the software. “Today, disenchanted with commercial virtual worlds but still convinced of their educational value, a few colleges have started to build their own, where they have more control” (Young, 2010, para. 2).

** Better Learning Through Virtual Reality ** How does this help those of us teaching K through 12? “Virtual worlds captivate children with imaginary, immersive and collaborative environments” (Iqbal, Kankaanranta, & Tuukkanen, 2010, p. 4). Many ideas come to mind for virtual education, from visiting places far outside the classroom to “adjusting” the laws of physics when giving examples. Some teachers have already begun using Second Life or other virtual worlds as a jumping off point to bring virtual education to their young students. One pilot project begun in 2008 with students at Ngee Ann Secondary School in Singapore proved to be very successful. “Using avatars, students could appreciate art pieces at their own pace, post comments, and even walk into 3D art pieces…or chat away with William Shakespeare” (Ng, 2008, para. 3).

** Virtual Problems ** However, when it comes to those under eighteen, we have a far larger responsibility to control content, and when using certain websites like Second Life, control remains difficult. “…it's easy to stumble into areas designed for virtual sex” (Young, 2010, para. 5). Also many teachers do not have the time or knowledge to create virtual worlds that would be adequate for their particular class. Could this mean that future generations will not experience the potential possibilities that learning in a computer generated 3D environment might offer? Not likely. On the contrary, there is probably very little we could do to keep them away.

** The Virtual World Belongs to the Children ** Imagine a class of young students logging on in the computer lab or at their desks to experience a world where they can directly interact with learning in ways not possible in the real world. Imagine a school where an ill teacher or student is not prevented from joining the class virtually. Imagine a school district that provides readymade virtual worlds just waiting for you and your students to enter. Today’s youth already voluntarily spend a good deal of time in virtual worlds playing video games or socializing online. They enjoy it. We need to take advantage of that motivation to join together our children’s educational and virtual worlds.

** Online Applications for Entering Virtual Worlds ** [|Open Cobalt] [|Open Simulator] [|The Immersive Education Initiative]

[|Protonmedia] [|Kaneva] [|Justleapin] [|Club Cooee] [|Amazing Worlds] [|3D City] [|Second Life] [|Onverse] [|Meez] [|IMVU] [|Moove] [|There] [|Prototerra] [|Awol Now] [|Exit Reality]

** Articles on Virtual Education ** [|Another Life: Virtual Worlds as Tools for Learning] [|Virtual Worlds for Educators] [|Real-Life Teaching in a Virtual World] [|Better Learning with Web 2.0 and Virtual Worlds.] [|After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds]

**REFERENCES**

Cross, J., O'Driscoll, T ., & Trondsen , E. (2007). Another Life: Virtual Worlds as Tools for Learning//. eLearn Magazine.// Retrieved from []

Dembo, S. (2008). Virtual Worlds for Educators. //District Administration.// Retrieved from []

Harrison, D. (2009). Real-Life Teaching in a Virtual World. //Campus Technology.// Retrieved from []

Iqbal, A., Kankaanranta, M., & Tuukkanen, T. (2010). A Framework for Children’s Participatory Practices in Virtual Worlds. //Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 3//(2), 3-26. Retrieved from the National University Library database.

Ng, K. (2008). Better Learning with Web 2.0 and Virtual Worlds. //Asia Pacific FutureGov.// Retrieved from []

Hasler, B., Henn, M., Jacobi, M., Jost, A., Schmeil, A., Schwitalla, M., & Steinbusch, M., (2010). A Workflow for Designing Virtual Worlds for Collaborative Learning. //Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications,// 151-158. Retrieved from the National University Library database.

Young, J. R.(2010, February 14). After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds. //The Chronicle of Higher Education//. Retrieved from []