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Virtual worlds

Virtual worlds are online environments where multiple users can interact together or with characters or interactive environments. Virtual worlds are immersive 3D environments where users have a great deal of freedom in terms of where they go and who the can interact with. Users participate in the world through the control of an avatar or online persona. An Avatar allows a user to choose how much of their real self they wish to portray in the virtual world, potentially allowing them to act as completely different people.

Samples

Many of these samples will require you to access and experience the virtual world “Second Life”.  Instructions on how to do this are found in the Design Steps below.

Mare Mare Research Centre

Design examples of environments created in Second Life

Source Mare Mare Research Centre is a must for teachers thinking about using SL in their teaching.
(SL)URL*: http://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=196
Use Design examples of environments created in Second Life
Delivery Through teleport to Second Life
Customisation Privately owned space in Second Life that can be accessed but not modified by visitors.
Availability Online at Second Life at all times.

Health Info Island

Health Exhibits and Information.

Source Mare Mare Research Centre is a must for teachers thinking about using SL in their teaching.
(SL)URL*:

A Slurl* is a url that directs you to a reference point inside Second Life
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/76/174/21/
Use Health Exhibits and Information. This is a good demonstration of how to use what exists in SL for educational purposes without having to build things yourself
Delivery Through the virtual world “Second Life”.
Customisation Privately owned space in Second Life that can be accessed but not modified by visitors.
Availability Online at Second Life at all times.

Virtual Hallucinations

To demonstrate effects of mental illness during a variety of episodes.

Source Virtual Hallucinations facility in SL, which is, designed to education people about mental health issues.
(SL)URL*:

A Slurl* is a url that directs you to a reference point inside Second Life
http://slurl.com/secondlife/sedig/21/43/21/
Use To demonstrate effects of mental illness during a variety of episodes.
Delivery To demonstrate effects of mental illness during a variety of episodes.
Customisation Privately owned space in Second Life that can be accessed but not modified by visitors.
Availability Open access in Second Life.

Book Island

SL’s area dedicated to the book publishing industry.

Source

Book Island

(SL)URL*:

A Slurl* is a url that directs you to a reference point inside Second Life

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Book%20island/125/153/36/
Use SL’s area dedicated to the book publishing industry. Here there are 80 shops showcasing writers, authors, editors, printers, publishers, SL and RL books.
Delivery Through the virtual world “Second Life”. Book Island Events and Discussion Group.
Customisation Shops can be purchased for display in this area.
Availability Open access in Second Life.

Sun Virtual Work Space

Collaboration and work projects conducted between workers in remote locations

Source

Sun Virtual Work Space
(SL)URL*:

http://research.sun.com/projects/mc/mpk20.html and video demonstration at http://research.sun.com/projects/mc/video/MPK20-oct2007.mov
Use Collaboration and work projects conducted between workers in remote locations
Delivery Online to Sun Employees
Customisation Only by Sun
Availability Only to Sun Employees. Video demonstration above to provide example of creative use of virtual worlds for collaboration and remote project work.
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Why include Virtual worlds?

Virtual Worlds enable trainers to engage learners in an experiential environment that can take on a variety of dimensions depending on the context of the training delivery. In aVirtual Worldlearners can experiment, plan, solve problems, negotiate, collaborate, evaluate, learn from mistakes and take risks, while acquiring a wide range of life and employability skills, improved self-esteem and learning in a real way. Learners can interact with environments and personalities in ways that can be difficult to manage for a large group in traditional training.  Virtual World envrioments  are 3 dimensional, enabling the learner to inhabit a character or “avatar” within which to explore and engage with situations and environments from a variety of perspectives.

Virtual worlds can provide opportunities for rich sensory immersive experiences, authentic contexts and activities for experiential learning, simulation and role-play, modelling of complex scenarios, a platform for data visualisation and opportunities for collaboration and co-creation that can not be easily experienced using other platforms.

Features

Virtual Worlds are distinguished from other online spaces by sharing the following characteristics:

  1. Shared space.
    The world allows many users to participate at once.  Users can create and and inhabit highly detailed ‘virtual selves’ through the customisation of “avatars”.
  2. Graphical user interface.
    The world depicts space visually.
  3. Immediacy.
    Interaction takes place in real time. Users can move around their world using their keyboard and/or special ‘tools’ within the ‘world’. As well as walking and running, avatars are able to fly and ‘teleport’ to different locations and environments in the world.
  4. Interactivity.
    The world allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content. Relatively easy-to-use built-in building and scripting tools allow users to create almost any object or any experience. Users generate all environmental and interactive content. Often users can own the intellectual property of environments they create. In addition, Audio and video can be streamed from the web and played “in-world”.
  5. Persistence.
    The world's existence continues regardless of whether individual users are logged in.
  6. Community.
    The world allows and encourages the formation of in-world social groups like teams, friendship groups, learning cohorts, clubs, cliques, housemates, or other purpose driven communities. The commercial organisation that owns the Virtual World will require users to abide by terms of service but will pursue a hands-off approach to governance, allowing users to self-govern conduct in the virtual world

Some virtual worlds operate within a real “in-world economy” with real money transfer that enables the buying and selling of environmental creations (including virtual “land” within the world). Users are free to profit from these transactions.

There are a number of virtual worlds but 3 popular worlds include:

(This information has been sourced from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework 2006 Project “Virtual Worlds” at http://virtualworlds.flexiblelearning.net.au)

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Integrating Virtual worlds

There are two main aspects to using Virtual Worlds in learning:

  • Learners using the world for collaboration or to access content such as lectures, demonstrations, simulations and experiences.
  • Trainers, and Learners develop “in world” creative and technical skills to construct elements in the worlds and share them with others. These worlds, then, are not just engaging, but provide a space for higher-level collaboration, simulation, testing of hypotheses, interaction, creativity and performance.

Other opportunities for using Virtual Worlds include:

  • Distance and Flexible Education
    Learners and Trainers can meet in-world to share information and resources via slides, audio and video, engaging in discussions, presentations, group projects and explorations.
  • Presentations, Panels and Discussions
    Virtual Worlds ability to establish a sense of presence, shared space and shared experience makes it ideal for presentations, panels and discussions. Presenters can show slides and videos and stream their voices into the world.
  • Training and Skills Development
    Virtual World platforms allows trainers to develop a range of strategies and spaces for training and skills development.
  • Self-paced Tutorials
    The in-built building and scripting tools in Virtual Worlds allow for the creation of sophisticated self-paced tutorials
  • Displays and Exhibits
    Learners and Trainers can create displays and exhibits. Using images, text and multimedia users can create interactive displays and exhibits that avatars can move in and interact with.
  • Immersive Exhibits
    Learners can engage in, experience and respond to information in context, allowing for a deeper understanding of places, situations or circumstances.
  • Role Plays and Simulations
    Learners can undertake a range of role-plays and simulations, practicing real life skills in a virtual space or exploring situations that they could not undertake safely or easily in the real world.
  • Exhibitions
    Virtual Worlds host a range of Libraries, Art Galleries and Museums where Learners can engage in events, discussions, and displays on a wide range of topics.
  • Historical Experiences
    Virtual World users have created a range of environments based on historical places and events. These environments can be used for a range of learning activities including role-plays, action learning and research and historical study.
For links to examples of these education uses in Second Life visit http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

Design steps

We’ll use the example of Second Life to illustrate the starting point of engaging with Virtual Worlds – Signing Up. Consider undertaking your first exploration of a virtual world with a colleague or Friend to help share the experience and to overcome any problems along the way.

Signing Up for Second Life

  • Check that your computer meets System Requirements: Second Life has specific software and hardware requirements. Check the website for further information. If your computer doesn't meet these requirements, you may not be able to participate in Second Life effectively.
  • Visit the Second Life Homepage and Go to the Join Now section where you will find an online form to fill out.
  • Choose a Name for Your New Avatar:
    You don't need to use your real name.
  • Choose from Some Basic Avatar Options:
    Choose a basic set-up for the appearance of your new avatar. There are a number of male and female options on the website to choose from. Choose some basic features and continue exploring – you can modify these later.
  • Complete the Registration Form
  • Download and install the Second Life client: You will need to download and install the Second Life software onto their computer. (About 30MB for Windows users and 62MB for Mac users). You must have this software installed in order to access Second Life.
  • Log in to Second Life and Start Exploring:
    Launch the Second Life software and login. You will arrive on Orientation Island where you will be able to use the resources there to familiarise with the Second Life interface.
  • Familiarisation
    Play and explore initially without too much thought of your training plans. Immerse yourself in the environment as a learner and visit and engage with as many sites as possible. Give yourself the space to familiarise yourself with the geography, facilities, norms, values and other socio-cultural features. Explore as much of Second Lifefirst hand as you can so you can confidently brief your learners.
  • Make Time
    You will need time to prepare yourself to learn and appreciate the potential of Second Life for teaching and learning. It takes time to become technically proficient in Second Life
  • Reflect
    Reflect on your experience in Second Life and the lessons for you as a learner in a virtual world.Consider the meaning of your Second Life experiences and of your understanding of how this new world works – its strengths and weaknesses, its attractions and dangers.

Getting started in Second Life with your Learners

  • Ensure that learners are trained in the use of virtual world software. Ensure that they are aware of the processes to use to get assistance – possible training in basic troubleshooting processes. Act as mentor and trouble shoot support through initial group forays into Virtual Worlds to provide confidence in building an understanding of operating “in world”
  • Ensure clear vision/guidance as to how many hours learners should engage per day/week. Ensure clear vision/guidance as to where engagement should occur (home or educational institution).
  • Encourage learners to experiment and interact with a variety of environments “in world”. Reflect on these experiences to help support further experimentation or resistance to engaging with new experiences.
  • Discuss how “in world” experiences shape an understanding of themselves and their sense and understanding of others in a variety of situations especially physically, socially, and culturally.
  • Provide opportunities for learners to simulate engagement with a variety of social and physical situations and provide questions and content to help them reflect and learn from these simulations.
  • Embed a notion of adventure into your teaching activities by regularly providing new places and new people to explore. Encourage learners to move around and express themselves with a wide range of gestures.

Assessment

Because of the wide number of personal and environmental variables within a virtual world  Assessment Tasks need to be unambiguous. Develop clear assessment guidelines and provide a clear assessment outline for your learners.

Depending on the type of activity chosen, it would be possible to use the virtual classroom for assessment of such activities as presentations of project outcomes, debates, role plays, simulations, information collection, engagement in problem solving activities. Ideally learners should know the criteria by which their participation in the virtual world is going to be assessed.

The following rubric was developed to support Facilitators develop learning and assessment experiences in Virtual Worlds:

Download the facilitation exemplar in full here.

Generic skills

Virtual Worlds offer extremely rich and immersive opportunities to foster generic skills. Generic skills which may be developed include:

  • working in groups and teams (defining the roles in the team, crisis management, giving feedback to other team members). Virtual World can enable groups to  breakout to work on a task.
  • problem solving and offering solutions to issues posed in discussions  and simulations (developing creative and innovative solutions, applying a range of strategies to solve problems)
  • communication skills (using appropriate language for the audience, persuading effectively, sharing information, asking for clarification, agreeing and disagreeing)
  • effective use of a range of technologies.

Technical notes

Virtual Worlds can be hungry users of bandwidth and computer memory. Platforms are continually being updated on Virtual Worlds so updated client software may need to be downloaded and installed regularly. Your computer may also require the installation of plug ins to enable you to experience streaming audio and video from inside the Virtual World.

Determine your systems capacity and connectivity to ensure a quality experience in virtual worlds. For an example, here are the Technical System requirements for the using Second Life - http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php.

Accessibility – while the technology to allow vision impaired people to enter is yet to be developed, Virtual Worlds provide opportunities for people with physical disabilities to simulate full physical functionality

Skills

  • Development of skills to enable you to participate, communicate, interact and work in a virtual world
  • development of teaching skills in Virtual Worlds (greeting participants, asking questions and guiding the interactions/explorations, encouraging all participants to be involved, encouraging experimentation and interaction, reflection and de briefing, supporting, providing technical assistance,)
  • development of technical skills to manage the virtual world sessions (assigning certain privileges, setting up environments, developing activities)
  • (potentially) acquiring the skills to shape and build custom built environments, interactions and experience for your learners in the virtual world.

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See also

From the Framework

More resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Tools and resources

Social bookmark for this strategy

http://del.icio.us/designelearn/virtual_worlds

Last modified: 11/6/08