Literature Review

Literature Review

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore using virtual worlds as an educational tool in higher education.  Whether in a traditional environment or a distance education environment, interaction and social abilities speaks volumes with disabled students that lacked the social skills needed in higher education environments.   This study will analyze the validity of using virtual world environment platforms as a social instructional method for students to learn.  Distance education environments can benefit from using the social and avatar-to-avatar that can directly replace the face-to-face interaction gap that maybe lacking.  If this study were conducted, virtual world designers, mixed methods research, interviews,  and surveys will be used.

The Benefits of Using Virtual World Environment Platforms in Education

Virtual worlds are a useful educational tool that can be used in the way that students can effectively learn.  Suzanne C. Baker, Ryan K. Wentz, and Madison M. Woods (2009).  The interactions and enhanced technological capabilities with virtual worlds add a benefit to disabled students.  Students that are disabled  often lack social skills that are needed to cooperatively communicate and learn in academic environments.  When a disabled student participates in using a virtual world as an instructional teaching method, the student accumulates the social skills that are often lacked.    Stendal, K., Balandin, S. & Molka-Danielsen, J. (2011).

Educators can benefit from the amount of interaction and stimulated social implementation of using a virtual world in education.   Therefore, pedagogy implementation helps distance education students that have implemented the use of virtual world environments in online education.   Savin-Baden, M., Gourlay, L., Tombs, C., Steils, N., Tombs, G. & Mawer, M., (2010).  Online learning can be enhanced when using this particular technology, and can encourage social facilitation and education.   Moreover, virtual worlds are being reviewed as an effective instructional method that consists of issues and uncertainty.  Wang, F. & Lockee, B.B. (2010).

For instance, past researchers worried about the security and privacy issues that occurred when using virtual worlds.  This is something that many are hesitant about when implementing the instructional use of virtual worlds in education.   The security concerns of the anything goes environment in virtual worlds such as nudity, exposure to hacking and sensitive information was a growing deep concern for many.

Review of Literature

Virtual World

Virtual worlds can be supportive in a various number of ways.   There are various reasons why educators use some form of instructional technologies to teach their students the subject matter at hand.   However, using a virtual world environment is not the same as using a Learning Management System, or LMS that is often used in the world of academia.   Utilizing a virtual world environment platform as an educational tool is something that was being analyzed for a new way to instruct students.   Students have a sense of community and social interaction amongst their peers in the realms of higher education.   Some students are outspoken while some are status quo and introverted.   When suing a virtual world simulation such as Second Life, students can build an image for themselves “in-world.”  There’s no distinction of popularity, but there is a huge level of importance of individuality and virtual world social psyche.

The Avatar

When using a virtual world, the first thing that has to be done is for an avatar to be created to define that level of virtual social presence.   The avatar is often created according to the individual’s personality and character preference.  This is what helps the user find themselves and claim ownership of their identity in a digitized environment.   The avatar is the digital projection of the actual individual, and in the virtual world environment, the avatar can be anything that id desired.  For instance, some individuals create avatars as dragon, fairies, vampires, werewolves, and even human in nature.  The avatar is a mirrored reflection of the user’s personality, and gives that user an social identity.

Virtual Worlds as a Educational Tool

Baker, Wentz, and Woods (2009) explain how effective virtual worlds can be when used for education.  Virtual worlds mask a huge level of intrigue and interest that is has been analyzed as a supportive educational tool to use.   This particular study utilizes virtual worlds, and how they are used as an educational tool when using Second Life. Virtual world environments are very interactive and include using content that consists of the use of avatars, text messaging, online discussion groups, and blogging, to say the least.  Educators find that the use of virtual worlds can be quite useful when using it for online teaching.  Interaction through the use of a virtual world can build the sense of community for learners and help educators help students by instruction and control amongst students.

Virtual Worlds in Distance Education

Wang & Lockee (2010).  In online environment platforms, there are many ways that students can learn educational content material.  This article analyzes a three-dimensional 3D virtual world that has examined extensively as a potential medium for online distance education.  Despite there being difficulties during the empirical research study, minimal documentation on how the study was actually conducted or found.   Using virtual worlds platforms can foster student engagement and virtual presence through the use of the digital avatar identity.

Virtual Worlds: A New Opportunity for People with Lifelong Disability

Balandin & Danielsen (2011) During this study, we are analyzing how virtual worlds have been used in the past to train individuals with intellectual disabilities and lack of social skills.  The research study that was conducted was designed specifically through a virtual environment for two adolescents that have autism spectrum disorder.  The advantages and opportunities of social value for individuals with disabilities in a virtual world are potentially valid.   Implementing the virtual world platform can increase the social acknowledgement of situational learning.

Situating Pedagogies, Positions and Practices in Immersive Virtual Worlds

This literature analyzed how immersive virtual worlds and e-learning environments that emphasizes the technology has led the pedagogy.  They have also examined how implementing the learning included flexibility and supporting diversity.  The article also examined current arguments for the use of virtual worlds in higher education, and the impact of using these environments have on teaching and educators.  Teams of researchers has conducted a comprehensive review of issues within the pedagogy, staff role and digital illiteracies, and explore perspectives that may inform the higher education communities about views on the use of virtual worlds.

·      Can virtual worlds be an effective instructional method for students in higher education?

·      Can learning in virtual world environment such as Second Life become a possibility?

·      Will learning in a virtual world be considered a normalize way of learning?

·      Will immersive learning facilitate social skills that are effective for disabled students that lack those skills?

Into the Twilight Zone: Innovations for Education, Virtual Worlds and Emerging Media.

Moreover, other research examined an constructivist learning, implementing emerging media and online collaborative tools for education.  Therefore, we will be using an augmented reality, web technology, game-based simulations, artificial intelligence, and holographic displays in virtual worlds. During the study, the constructivist-learning techniques offer excellent opportunities for students to create the future.  During a creativity exercise, an emerging media class used online collaborative tools to share their visions for the future.  The featured topics included augmented reality, innovations in web technology, game-based educational simulations, and artificial intelligence in knowledge management, research in holographic displays, and requirements for the Virtual World education Grid.

Conclusion

In summary, there are various ways that students can learn and benefit when using virtual worlds for that particular purpose.  This can help both educators and students learn in a variable way so that they can retain the material.   Educators can introduce technology and help their students feel immersed and engaged in the class while using collaborative learning methods to bridge the gap of emerging media technologies.  According to Bradshaw, Q. (2011) “This innovation proposes the capability to rapidly create game simulations for role-playing, digital storytelling, engaging games and learning.

References

Aldrich, C. (2009). Virtual Worlds, Simulations, and Games for Education: A Unifying View. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 5(5).

Bradshaw, Q., Tomaso, P., Keeling, R., Martinez, J., Lavieri, E., McGinnes, E., Shaffer, M., Calongne, C., Archiquette, S. & Bisson, L. (2011). Into the Twilight Zone: Innovations for Education, Virtual Worlds and Emerging Media. In Proceedings of TCC Worldwide Online Conference 2011 (pp. 29-42). TCCHawaii.

Jestice, R.J. Learning in virtual worlds: Results from two studies. Ph.D. thesis, State University of New York at Binghamton.

Ouyang, Y., Yang, S., Franklin, T., Michaelson, K., Morge, S., Sheybani, E., Hayden, K., Narayan, S., Tagliarini, G. & Talaiver, M. (2010). Games, Sims and Virtual Worlds in K-20 STEM education. In D. Gibson & B. Dodge (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2010 (pp. 2024-2028). Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Savin-Baden, M., Gourlay, L., Tombs, C., Steils, N., Tombs, G. & Mawer, M. (2010). Situating Pedagogies, Positions and Practices in Immersive Virtual Worlds. Educational Research, 52(2), 123-133.

Sheila Webber and Diane Nahl (2011). Sustaining learning for LIS through use of a virtual world IFLA Journal, March 2011; vol. 37, 1: pp. 5-15.

Steinkuehler, C. & Duncan, S. (2008). Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17(6), 530-543.

Stendal, K., Balandin, S. & Molka-Danielsen, J. (2011). Virtual Worlds: A New Opportunity for People with Lifelong Disability? Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 36(1), 80-83.

Suzanne C. Baker, Ryan K. Wentz, and Madison M. Woods (2009). Using Virtual Worlds in Education: Second Life as an Educational Tool. Teaching of Psychology, January 2009; vol. 36, 1: pp. 59-64.

Wang, F. & Lockee, B.B. (2010). Virtual Worlds in Distance Education: A Content Analysis Study. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 11(3), 183-186.