Virtual+Worlds

Please include a web-based resource and discuss it in the context of the readings, your educational context or educational experiences. You might also choose to relate these to the questions:

- In what ways can multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) contribute to the learning experience? - Do MUVEs benefit certain students or groups more than others?   Virtual worlds are not the main focus of this course, therefore we will take a quick dive into how they are currently used in education. This week's 'reading' assignment includes presentations from an Educause conference. You have several options - you can listen to the podcast or view the presentation video, and use the presentation notes:

1) Expanding Educational Realities – Exploring Interactive and Immersive Learning Experiences. By Janyth Ussery.

@http://www.educause.edu/blog/gbayne/ELISessionExpandingEducational/198691

2) Some of My Students Are Not Human! Avatar Interaction and Collaboration in Virtual Worlds. By Paul Wallace. []

3) Gee, James Paul. “Learning and Games." //The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning // . Edited by Katie Salen. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 21–40. Available at: @http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/dmal.9780262693646.021

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">4) Bers, Marina Umaschi. “Civic Identities, Online Technologies: From Designing Civic Curriculum to Supporting Civic Experiences." //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth // <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">. Edited by W. Lance Bennett. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 139–160. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Available at: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #0021a5; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">@http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.139