A5.2: 7 Things You Should Know About Virtual Worlds

Deidra Darst 
9/20/07

7 things you should know about virtual worlds (2006).  Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7015.pdf

TAP:  The topic of this document is virtual worlds, virtual-online environments where users control avatars.  This article was written to inform teachers and students about the uses, advantages, disadvantages and implications of utilizing virtual worlds within academic curricula. 

Claim:   

“Virtual worlds hold significant potential for a learner-led rather than an outcome-based-model of exploration and knowledge development” (2006).  Virtual worlds provide a safe place for students and employees to experiment in a trial-and-error manner.  The process of learning is “unintentional” and within a medium that students find interesting and entertaining. 

 
Evidence:  

Virtual worlds, characters and situations are completely controlled by the user.  Many educationally-based tasks within virtual worlds have loose guidelines, and therefore provide opportunities for users to experiment and try new things.  Rather than forcing students to complete specific tasks and accomplish certain goals, students have the opportunity to guide their own learning situations.  In this light learning becomes “unintentional” which leads to “stronger comprehension and deeper knowledge” (2006).  Virtual worlds provide real-time opportunities for learners that have not been possible before.  Students’ avatars can interact with other students’ avatars, giving them practice and experience in clinician-client interactions, product development and numerous other tasks.  The vitual world operates on a realistic scheme, but does not have the implications that real-life interactions and tasks may hold.  Therefore students can feel free to try new things, test their effectiveness and reflect on their outcomes.  Virtual worlds are comparable to the ever-popular computer game.  Users create characters, environments and control every aspect of the virtual space.  Students find these worlds entertaining due to their game-like nature.  In essence, students can engage in play, entertainment, learning, creation and interaction all at the same time. 

Connections:
text-to-self:  The reading of this virtual world document reminded me of my favorite computer game – Sims2.  Creating characters and controlling their actions all within a virtual world is what virtual worlds (and Sims2) are all about.  I am also familiar with another virtual world called CyWorld.  Within Cy(ber)World individuals create avatars, environments for those avatars and make friends within the virtual space.  I think that it is great that educators can incorporate such technology into the learning process.  I know many younger students who do not enjoy school, but love playing computer games.  Combining the two, computer games and learning situations, is a great way to reach students through a medium that they find enjoyable.  I found the vignette about the medical school student interesting.  Future doctors (or therapists) could practice their skills within virtual worlds where their mistakes could be corrected prior to working with real patients.  I think I would enjoy completing such a task; it would give me experience without compromising my relationships with real, live patients!

text-to-text:  This document is paralleled by the virtual meetings document that I wrote about in my last blog.  Users, no matter where they are, can log in and interact with one another in real-time.  With both virtual programs users can engage in meaningful interactions and learn from the process.   

text-to-world:  It is difficult to imagine how virtual worlds could play a role in my life as a professional.  I could possibly use virtual worlds to supplement therapy sessions.  For instance, I could have a client who finds it difficult to engage in conversational turns.  He or she could use a virtual world to practice and improve this skill.  They could use the avatar, or the virtual self, to interact with other vitual world users.