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virtual worlds

A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars.

In principle, virtual worlds represent a powerful new media for instruction and education. Persistence allows for continuing and growing social interactions, which themselves can serve as a basis for collaborative education. Virtual world platforms can also provide a foundation for serious games, intended to instruct and illuminate. Some virtual world platforms also provide support for simulation based instruction, increasingly recognized as a powerful new computer enabled approach to learning. Finally, virtual worlds can provide new methods for learning evaluation and teacher professional development, including embedded assessment and teacher training linked directly to student performance.

A growing number of educational institutions are exploring existing general purpose virtual world platforms as a means to extend and enhance their offerings to students. Typically, educators create an online presence where students can interact, using their avatars to learn about new assignments or create projects that are viewable within the virtual world. For example, students taking a computer manufacturing class can log into a virtual world in which they are the inhabitants of a burgeoning village that needs their expertise for the construction of houses, furniture, machines, and other goods.

MUVE's

Second Life

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

Kaneva is the first virtual entertainment world that unifies the 2D web with a 3D experience. Kaneva is the first to integrate social networking, shared media, and collaborative online communities into a modern-day, immersive 3D Virtual World.
Built for the masses, Kaneva is an extension of socialization and entertainment in the real world. Kaneva has been designed from the ground up with ease-of-use, fun and entertainment top-of-mind.

In addition to the over 80 educational worlds available in the AWEDU, there are a number of educational worlds in the main Active Worlds Universe where classes are taught, experiments performed and meetings are held. Activeworlds Inc. offers educational pricing packages for institutions interested in hosting virtual worlds in the Active Worlds Universe or within their own intranet servers.

There takes extra steps to educate members about safety issues and recommends many ways to stay safe online. In addition to the safety tips which are available at the bottom of every There web page, these tips are prominently displayed in high traffic in-world areas.

Whyville is am educational virtual world for children and teens, ages 10-16. It is a multi-user science community of 550 thousand registered members, with four thousand concurrent users at any given time.
The site includes noncompetitive games and activities, social interaction and the opportunity for kids to create their own identities.

Edusim is a free opensource 3D virtual world specifically for your classroom interactive whiteboard. Edusim is a powerful way to engage your students by bringing a 3D virtual environment that allows direct haptic manipulation of the 3D virtual learning objects directly from the interactive whiteboard surface. Edusim is extendable allowing multiple classrooms to connect their interactive whiteboards for collaborative learning session.

3B's online social experience enables users to hang out and chat in customizable 3D spaces called villages. These spaces are built to display their MySpace pages, their friends' pages, their favorite websites, their flickr photos and more. In addition to creating a personalized avatar which they can dress and design, the user can personalize their village by choosing a 3D theme for their space and changing some of the elements inside the village.

What are kids learning in virtual worlds?

MacArthur sponsored event entitled "what are Kids Learning in Virtual Worlds?" On November 14, 2007, the enent was boradcast live over the web and streamed live into Second Life. (http://www.holymeatballs.org/2007/10/invitation_wednesday.html)