Virtual Worlds in The Classroom

ByDaniah AL-Abbasi

What are Virtual Worlds?A virtual world is a computer based

stimulated environment intended for its

users to inhabit and interact via avatars.

This habitation is usually represented in

the form of two or three-dimensional

graphical representations of humanoids

(or other graphical or text-based

avatars).

One of the most famous virtual worlds is

Second Life (SL).

Second Life (SL)SL is one of the massively multiplayer online

games.

SL represents something different than a

game. Rather than a game with set goals, it is

a "life" that its residents decide to live.

In SL, residents can set up businesses, buy

land, build structures, or go to clubs or

concerts to hang out and meet others. They

can be as industrious or as lazy as they wish.

What is an Avatar?

An avatar is an Internet

user's representation of a

male, female, or a creature

used in all virtual worlds

communities.

Virtual Worlds in the classroomVirtual Worlds represent a powerful

new media for instruction and

education.

Some 60 schools and universities have

set up shop inside Second Life — most

in the past year. They join a population

that includes real-world business

people, politicians, entertainers, and

more than 800,000 other "residents" of

the virtual world.

Virtual Worlds in the classroomIn order to help teachers

bring their classes to

Second Life, Linden Lab

donates accounts for each

student, as well as an acre

of land in the metaverse for

the teacher and students to

work and build on.

Virtual Worlds in the classroomFor the first time this fall, a

Harvard University class is

meeting on its own "Berkman

Island" within Second Life

(SL).

Ball State and other schools

have bought "land" on SL to

build a campus.

Virtual Worlds in the classroomAbout 90 Harvard law and

extension school students

taking a course, called

"CyberOne: Law in the

Court of Public Opinion”

can receive real college

credit.

Virtual Worlds examples in the classroomBusiness

Computer science

Chemistry

National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

Play2Train project

AdvantagesGives the students a

feeling that they are in a

real classroom.

It helps build things that

would either be too

expensive or physically

impossible to create in the

real world.

AdvantagesIt stretches the imagination

and grows a person's

creativity.

Students can learn more

about what they couldn't in

the real world.

Virtual Worlds can manage to

get kids extremely engaged.

AdvantagesRole playing

Collective Social

learning

Information access is

easy for students.

LimitationsTechnical

difficulties

Have an inherently

commercial nature

For some people it

can cause

addiction.

LimitationsMonetary cost

Public opinion (Adult

Content)

Teacher training

Virtual Worlds can’t be the

only way of teaching

because students need the

real world interactions with

other students and

teachers.

Future Expectations virtual worlds are still so new that

researchers haven't had much time

to study their impact on people and

education.

Virtual worlds are the way of the

future, integrating textbooks,

discussion groups, blackboards,

science labs, and easel in one

technologically appealing package.

http://www.virtualworldsreview.com

/info/categories.shtml