Week 3 Ji Yuan Article review

Teaching in Virtual Worlds: Opportunities and Challenges

Research aims

The aim of this paper is to explore how virtual worlds provide a mechanism to incorporate constructive, experiential, and student-centered learning practices into the classroom. What’s more, the challenges of using virtual worlds in education, and implications for future education.

Research methods

Three research methods were used in this paper: literature research method, case study method and descriptive method. To be more specific, the author concluded many research results and re-present the data by using literature research. What’s more, the author takes Second Life as an example to illustrate research questions by using case study method and descriptive method.

Research results

Firstly, virtual worlds can be a very effective learning spaces, the environment is generalized rather than contextual. Settings can be created to fit any subject of study. What’s more, virtual worlds provide an opportunity for faculty to change from a teacher-centered to a student-centered model of instruction. Student-centered models of instruction often incorporate constructive learning theories, which learners “use their experiences to actively construct understanding that makes sense to them, rather than have understanding delivered to them in a already organized form.”(Polka, 2001, p. 55) and students are more actively engaged. In addition, virtual worlds provide an environment where educators can prepare learners for “the increasingly complex and interconnected global society in which they live and work” (Moore, Fowler, & Watson, 2007, p. 46). Students across the world can easily interact using virtual worlds. For example, it is not unusual to visit Second Life and meet someone that speaks a language other than one’s native tongue. Some of these virtual worlds also have their own economy, thus providing students with the challenge of surviving in situations where the exchange of goods and services may not follow the ‘norm’ with which they are accustomed. Simply observing the variety of

clothing, facial features, and dress of avatars in virtual worlds offers students the opportunity to learn about their reactions to the visual qualities of people.

When it comes to the challenges of education with virtual worlds, this paper roughly divided the challenges into two aspects. First of all, from the perspective of students, participate in virtual worlds requires robust hardware and a broad band Internet connection. However, some students or classrooms not have computers which meet the minimum requirements (Kirkman et al, 2002). Therefore, students can not get access to the virtual worlds. What’s more, some students may find that virtual worlds so charming that they get distracted from their course goals, and this may lead to lack of participation, inappropriate behavior.

In terms of teaching in virtual worlds, there are also plenty of challenges. Firstly, it requires skills to create a class in virtual worlds, and many educators don’t have this kind of skill. For some certain courses which have a very specific learning objectives, teachers have to spend more time and energy in designing a virtual environment. Secondly, the cost will be another issue. Take Second Life as an example, the basic account is totally free, but if institutions want to create a presence or buy a permanent area for educational purposes, then it must have paid. Thirdly, students in public areas may be subjected to sex and violence because there are many unresolved legal issues surrounding virtual violence, virtual assault and sexual harassment that take place in Second Life as well as other virtual worlds (Bugeja, 2007). So who should shoulder the responsibility if students get hurt in virtual worlds?

For educators, to some extent, virtual worlds are truly a Pandora’s Box for them. While virtual worlds provide new possibilities for teaching and learning, they also bring new challenges. How to control the learning environment in virtual worlds? Can teachers adapt their teaching when they meet the new challenges of virtual worlds? How much professional development will be necessary for teachers effectively teach in virtual worlds? Hence, questions regarding teaching and learning in virtual worlds still need further exploration.

In conclusion, virtual worlds promote active and constructive learning and student-centered teaching. But on the other hand, costs, accessibility, legal issues still need to be solved.

Reference

Bugeja, M. (2007, September 14). Second thoughts about Second Life. The Chronicle of Higher Education, C1.

Kirkman, G. S., Cornelius, P. K., Sachs, J. D., & Schwab, K. (2002). The global information technology

report 2001–2002: Readiness for the networked world. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Moore, A., Fowler, S., & Watson, C. (2007, September/October). Active learning and technology: Designing change for faculty, students, and institutions. EDUCAUSE Review, 42(5), 42-61.

Polka, W. (2001). Facilitating the transition from teacher centered to student centered instruction at the university level via constructivist principles and customized learning plans. Educational Planning, 13(3), 55-61.