Virtual world

Technological driving force of The Future of Technology in Secondary Education in 2020

Description:

A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.

The world being computer-simulated typically appears similar to the real world, with real world rules such as gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Communication has, until recently, been in the form of text, but now real-time voice communication using VOIP is available. This type of virtual world is now most common in massively multiplayer online games (Second Life, Entropia Universe, The Sims Online, There, Red Light Center), particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, Lineage, World of Warcraft, or Guild Wars

Some schools already are using virtual worlds for education. Teachers create a virtual community where students can log in and interact with the rest of the class, including the teacher. Students will learn about new subject, assignments and can start projects in these virtual worlds.

Enablers:

• Schools using virtual worlds for educational purposes
• Game developers of MMORPGs
• Companies using virtual worlds for projects
• Development of technology
• Broadband

Inhibitors:

• People saying that computers will take over the world (like The Matrix Conspiracy)

Paradigms:

Virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments that represent a world where users can interact via avatars. Virtual worlds are used in all kinds of ways, like games and education.

Timing

1987
First online virtual world named Habitat, developed by Lucasfilm Games

WEB Resources:

Virtual worlds - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_world
The Matrix conspiracy - http://www.the-matrix-has-you.org/the-matrix.html
Habitat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_%28video_game%29