One of the more exciting aspects of the Web 2.0 environment are Virtual Worlds. How they can can be incorporated into education is currently much under research but it is clear that they provide a very different kind of learning experience: One that is interactive. Dr. Dick Riedle, professor at the Appalachian State University in the Reich College of Education says: "There is a real sense of presence in these worlds that is missing from interactions via email, blogs, and web pages. We know that when people have a strong sense of presence, they are more engaged in what they are doing...". Virtual worlds will provide an interesting education environment for the Information Age students, for sure.

Because virtual worlds are renderings of 3-D worlds, the computer equipment requirements may pose a barrier for access. The learning curve to get into and around in the virtual world may also hinder their uses in education. However, as computers become faster and good graphics card become cheaper, and when introductory instructions are provided to students, virtual worlds are well worth exploring.

Little is know at the time how well students learn in virtual worlds. However, it is currently being researched. Many institutions have received grants to explore the education benefits in more detail. Read more about some of these projects: http://cit.duke.edu/ideas/projects.

Today, many universities, organizations, and companies have presence in virtual worlds, Second Life possibly being the one mostly researched today. Universities such as Princeton, MIT, Appalachian State University, Clemson University, Ohio State University, UNT, TWU, University of Houston, just to mention a few, all have presence in Second Life.

Follow the links under Virtual Worlds in the menu to the left to learn more about some of them.