Teaching IT Through Learning Communities in a 3D Immersive World

Introduction

New technologies for collaboration have generated increasing interest in the formation of various kinds of online learning communities for distance education. A wide range of distributed learning communities are currently involved in training, education, gaming, social networking, and other emerging online endeavors. These distributed learning communities are available in different forms and demonstrate underlying frameworks that include collaborative text-based environments, Web-based text and graphical multiuser domains, and the more sophisticated CAVEs (projection-based automatic virtual environments). Each of the above presents its own unique technologies and possibilities for online distributed collaboration and learning. Each presents opportunities for group interactions in different ways that bring a sense of community to the task. This chapter will focus on the findings and experiences of various communities of learners formed within a 3D immersive Internet-based virtual world developed for graduate education.

Descriptions of a 3D Internet-based learning environment—called Appalachian Educational Technology Zone (AET Zone)—used by the instructional technology program in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University have been noted in other research (e.g., Bronack, Riedl, & Tashner, in press; Riedl, Bronack, & Tashner, 2005; Tashner, Bronack, & Riedl, 2005). An Active Worlds universe server (http://www.activeworlds.com/) serves as the current platform for AET Zone, and provides a means to build virtual worlds for students, instructors, and other invited guests to meet and to work together in ways not found in other learning environments currently available. AET Zone may be characterized by significant components of space, movement, physical presence and copresence, conversational tools with small and large group shared workspaces, and metaphors and artifacts that assist with collaboration and learning online in unique and powerful ways. Students, faculty, and guests, graphically represented by avatars, move through the 3D world spaces interacting with each other and with artifacts within the worlds. These artifacts may be linked to different resources, Web pages, and tools necessary to provide content and support for various kinds of synchronous and asynchronous interactions. Small and large group shared workspace tools enable interactive conversations in text chats, threaded discussion boards, and audio chats. Group sharing of documents, Web pages, and other types of application software also are available within the virtual world.