Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

              Virtual worlds are not just a new addition to the gaming world. This technology is used for important situations such as the military and air and space research for astronauts to practice what it feels like to go into space. The medical field is also another place where these virtual worlds would be helpful to practice certain procedures and for research.

            I found the study about Situated Learning in Visual Worlds extremely interesting and an amazing idea. In this study, virtual worlds are used to not only teach students about history, but to motivate them to want to learn as well. What better way is there to learn about the industrial revolution than to become a factory worker yourself and go through their daily life tasks and responsibilities? (Dawley & Dede p. 5)

            Another advantage of virtual worlds is that they give people the ability to express themselves in the safety of their own homes. As discussed in the article on CNN, a teenager with autism created a place where people like him could go and practice socializing with others and meeting new people without the anxiety that comes with it because they are still in the comfort of their own homes. Although virtual worlds such as these should not be a solution to social issues such as those autistic people face, it is definitely a way for them to practice their social skills (Saidi).

            A disadvantage of these virtual worlds is that they affect people’s ability and skills to have a face-to-face conversation and effectively communicate with people. Even though some of these virtual realities allow you to become an avatar that replicates the actions of humans, you are still on a computer. This is especially a problem for children who are sitting inside a fake world instead of being out in the real world making real friends.  Also, people tend to do or say things through these virtual situations that they would not normally do if they were physically in front of the other avatar.  This can be dangerous because if you are meeting people in these virtual worlds, you do not know their real identity and they could be pretending to be anyone.

            These virtual worlds foster creativity because they give people the ability to bring their imaginations to life, which they otherwise would not be able to do. Examples of this are the games Minecraft and Sims where you have the ability to create your own world how you want it to be.

            I think the future of virtual worlds is only going to grow even more. This technology not only has so many advantages to so many different fields, but it has also become so accessible to everyone.  They have already created way for people to turn their mobile devices into a virtual world with special goggles, which only shows us what else is to come in the future.

Citations:

1. Dawley, L., & Dede. C. (in press). Situated learning in virtual worlds and immersive simulations. In J.M. Spector, M.D Merrill, J. Elen, & M.J. Bishop (Eds.), The Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology (4th ed.). New York: Springer. http://mfile.narotama.ac.id/files/Jurnal/Jurnal%202012-2013/Situated%20learning%20in%20virtual%20worlds%20and%20immersive%20simulations.pdf

2. Saidi, Nicole. "IReport: 'Naughty Auties' Battle Autism with Virtual Interaction." CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.