Post 6

"Walk, Fly, or Teleport to Learning: Virtual Worlds in the Classroom" By: Maureen Brown Yoder (Sept/Oct. 2009)

In light of an estimate that by 2011 there will be 20 million children using "multiuser virtual environments" (or MUVEs), up from 8.2 million, Yoder argues that this technology should be used help teachers engage their students. These virtual environments offer "social, technical, and practical life skills in a setting that keeps them engaged, inquisitive, and playful." Yoder also notes how such a format could allow for greater national and even worldwide collaboration.

Yoder's primary experience with these MUVEs has been through "Second Life," where she explored the educationally oriented "islands," stumbling across "constructivist teaching and experiential learning within virtual wonderlands." Of these includes and ISTE islands, one such island where teacher and share information with each other. Another interesting feature of Second Life is it's teen grid, which only allows those 13-17 year olds (and their teachers, pending background check) are allowed.

Another MUVE that Yoder goes over are ones developed by Global Kids and Gamepill. these include agame which allows players to discover the events of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the game Ayiti, which focuses on a developing country and the challenges children might face there, including decisions related to work, education, community building, personal purchases, and health care, with the goal of keeping the family healthy, happy, and educated. Yoder argues that it is games like this which allows students to learn about global issues. In this way not only can these games act as fantasy, but as a way to reengage with the realities of the world by telling the stories of real people.

Second Life has also been sued to facilitate science education, in particular in teaching students about sustainable building and energy alternatives. In one case, students who were suspended or otherwise did not do well in class became motivated to participate, with many students participating late into the night. The results of analysis of such projects indicate an increased desire to study science, particularly in it's application to real life.

The applications of this technology in my own classroom could be quite a helpful boost to many students, perhaps especially to those students who are too shy to participate during class, as well as for those students who lack the ability to otherwise see such environments first hand. For both of these cases, previous limitations are lifted, if only in this virtual sense, giving the students more freedom to move about and express themselves. It is my belief that this will lead to an increased ability and desire to learn.