Virtual worlds
See our guide for information about Second Life
A virtual world, in the context of social networking, refers to an online-simulated environment where a community of users can interact with each other and the 'world' around them.
In virtual worlds such as Second Life, people take the form of created Avatars. These avatars normally interact with other users' avatars in a 3D graphical environment. They are able to communicate by typing in a small on-screen dialogue box, by gestures and body language, or by speaking into a microphone.
Users are often able to build and create features in the virtual world. For example, we have been involved in the creation of an island in Second Life (called the 'E-Learning at UWE island'). This island contains buildings and other structures - both realistic and fantastical.
Virtual worlds have been created for the purposes of gaming, business, and leisure. They can be utilised for education and are extremely effective in simulating scenarios that may need recording, or are too dangerous or too expensive to carry out in real life
Simulations in Higher Education (SHE)
Developments in technology over the past 2 – 3 years have now created opportunities to enable students to experience simulations of events and situations that are difficult or impossible to organise, before they put their skills into practice in the real world. Also, simulations enable events and cases to be studied in detail, run forwards and backwards in time and be experienced more than once. Simulations in Higher Education (SHE) is a focus for these initiatives at UWE. Find out how simulations can be used to aid learning (and details of current UWE simulation projects) at our Simulations in Higher Education (SHE) website.
This picture shows a Second Life simulation of a post-accident investigation.
Examples of education in virtual worlds
- Language learning is the most widespread type of education in virtual worlds, with many universities using 3D virtual environments to support language learning.
- Business learning. Virtual worlds are used for the training of employees.
Current EDLU simulation projects
- Our Second Life Simulator enables students to experience different kinds of events and to interact with them through their avatars. More information can be found at our Simulations in Higher Education (SHE) minisite.
Different virtual worlds
See our guide to Second Life for further info.
- Second Life
- Active Worlds
- Kaneva
- World of Warcraft (online fantasy game)
Avatars and Bots
Many users enjoy interacting with talking 'Avatars' as apposed to simple text speak
More information about Avatars
An avatar is a visual representation of a user. It can take the form of a 'character' in a specifically designed environment such as a virtual world (e.g. Second Life) or else be embedded in other media or websites.
Avatars can be 2D or 3D, and they can often speak and move around.
An example of an avatar that can be used in Blackboard is a Voki. A Voki is a specially created avatar that allows its creator to add audio to give the impression that it is 'speaking'. Users visit the Voki website where they can create the avatar (and where it will be stored). Once created users can link to the Voki from their own site or Blackboard course. A small advert will appear on a free Voki.
Use in education - positives
The use of virtual worlds can:
- give teachers the opportunity to have a greater level of student participation.
- Virtual worlds have the capability to adapt and grow to different user needs
- They can be a good source of user feedback, the typical paper-based resources have limitations that Virtual Worlds can overcome.
- Virtual worlds allow users with specific needs and requirements to be able to access and use the same learning materials from home, as they would be receiving if they were in the presentation.
- This can help users to keep up to date with the relevant information and needs while also feeling as though involved.
- a more user-friendly environment which allows them a greater level of involvement and creativity.
Use in education - negatives
- Although virtual worlds are a good way of communicating and interacting between students and teachers, this is not a substitute for actual face-to-face meetings.
- When using virtual worlds, there are the downsides in that you lose the body language and other more personal aspects.
Gaming
Games can be used to aid education. Specially designed games can simulate or replicate problems and tasks that the user has to interact with. Games (online or offline) can also be utilised by educators.
For example, people have argued that games such as War of Warcraft can be used to investigate science in an active way that would be dangerous in real life.
Machinima
Machinima is the use of real-time three-dimensional (3-D) graphics rendering engines to generate computer animation. The term also refers to works that incorporate this animation technique.
They can be used to create demonstrations, simulations and fiction animations. There are many websites that show mini-movies made by amateurs that utilise existing games and worlds. These movies are edited and post-produced to create professional stories with narratives (inc. the users own dialogue, music, and stories)
Page last updated 12 December 2012