Schools Go Virtual
A new trend in online education involves students acting through animated characters called “avatars” mingling in simulated school settings and even rocketing off, via the Internet, on quests for knowledge says this article.
The San Jose State University for instance, has built a campus at Second Life, which spans 16 digital acres dotted with school buildings that Library Sciences Department students use for classes and experiments.
Trying to simulate real world experiences by building virtual buildings and audiences so students can learn in realistic, but safe and controlled, settings, university professor Jeremy Kemp says, “I can send a student in to have an experience in an unstructured environment, and then come out and have a conversation about it.” In fact, thirty students signed-up for Kemp’s 15-week virtual-world class, which includes learning about the application driving the Second Life program.
Expect education to become more immersive, and more simulative going forward.
Filed under: Ideas & Innovations, Trends
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