Search the World's Largest Database of Information Science & Technology Terms & Definitions
InfInfoScipedia LogoScipedia
A Free Service of IGI Global Publishing House
Below please find a list of definitions for the term that
you selected from multiple scholarly research resources.

What is Virtual Worlds

Chapter 5
Handbook of Research on Transformative Online Education and Liberation: Models for Social Equality
A computer-based simulated environment that can be text based, two dimensional, or three dimensional where participants interact via their online persona as avatars. This environment allows participants to manipulate elements of the world itself allowing the user to feel as though they are present in the virtual world.
Published in Chapter:
Emphasizing Diversity through 3D Multi-User Virtual Worlds
Mary Beth Klinger (College of Southern Maryland, USA) and Teresa L. Coffman (University of Mary Washington, USA)
Copyright: © 2011 |Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60960-046-4.ch005
Abstract
Integrating three dimensional multi-user virtual worlds into the online classroom is an effective way to enhance instruction and provide real world application to course content. This chapter explores virtual worlds and their ability to promote meaningful interaction, collaboration, and skill based learning. The focus for encouraging new technologies into the teaching and learning environment is to foster creativity and innovation in the 21st century learner so that inventive thinkers, collaborative problem solvers, and transformative leaders can emerge from our global educational system. Concerns regarding diversity, social equality, and accessibility to the technology tools are addressed with emphasis on the need to provide open systems so that our knowledge based global economy can thrive and all students can emerge as competent global citizens.
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
More Results
Chapter 15
The Educational Value of the Escape Room in Virtual Environments
Is a computer simulated environment populated by many users who can create a personal avatar and simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities and communicate with others. These avatars can be textual, or two-dimensional or three-dimensional graphic representations.
Published in Chapter: The Educational Value of the Escape Room in Virtual Environments; From: Handbook of Research on Teaching With Virtual Environments and AI
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 2
Virtual Laboratories Development Using 3D Environments
Virtual labs as a workspace for the distance collaboration and experimentation in research or other creative activity to generate and deliver results using the information communication technology.
Published in Chapter: Virtual Laboratories Development Using 3D Environments; From: Handbook of Research on 3-D Virtual Environments and Hypermedia for Ubiquitous Learning
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 8
The Effects of Metaverse and Blockchain-Based Cryptocurrencies on Social Life
Online computer-generated environments where multiple users in remote physical locations can interact simultaneously for different purposes.
Published in Chapter: The Effects of Metaverse and Blockchain-Based Cryptocurrencies on Social Life; From: Supporting Technologies and the Impact of Blockchain on Organizations and Society
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 26
Virtual Worlds as a Learner Centered Environments for Spatial Reasoning
Virtual world is an emerging computer interface that strives to make simulations believable and realistic. A virtual world in this paper looks like the Second Life®world that based on Web 2.0, including participants, sharing, and collaborating.
Published in Chapter: Virtual Worlds as a Learner Centered Environments for Spatial Reasoning; From: Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environments
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 9
Tourism in Virtual Worlds: Means, Goals and Needs
When we write about virtual worlds, we refer to environments that are created by computer programs and where avatars (representing virtually the physical real users) are able to navigate, to have social interactions and even sometimes to trade. These virtual worlds may be more or less similar to the real world (gravity, rules, weather, etc. ).
Published in Chapter: Tourism in Virtual Worlds: Means, Goals and Needs; From: Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environments
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 29
Human Resource Development and Technology Integration
A 3-D environment where multi-users interact in real time using avatars as representation of themselves.
Published in Chapter: Human Resource Development and Technology Integration; From: Encyclopedia of E-Leadership, Counseling and Training
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 16
Pioneering in the Virtual World Frontier
A simulated environment where people and 3D content converge. The setting can look like an island, a parcel of land, reside underwater or float high in the air, and the content can vary from realistic objects and buildings to imaginary spaces. The virtual worlds come to life when people interact with one another and the world around them through communication and content sharing.
Published in Chapter: Pioneering in the Virtual World Frontier; From: Recent Advances in Applying Identity and Society Awareness to Virtual Learning
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 13
Minecraft Our City, an Erasmus Project in Virtual World: Building Competences Using a Virtual World
Virtual worlds are multiplayer (and often massively multiplayer) 3D persistent social environments.
Published in Chapter: Minecraft Our City, an Erasmus Project in Virtual World: Building Competences Using a Virtual World; From: Handbook of Research on Teaching With Virtual Environments and AI
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 41
Gaming in Adult Education
Computer-based simulated environments where users interact via avatars.
Published in Chapter: Gaming in Adult Education; From: Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technologies and Adult Education Integration
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 18
Collaborative Learning in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: A Review of Social, Cognitive and Motivational Perspectives
Computer simulated 3D environments, accessed through the internet, supporting interactions among users, through their virtual characters, as well as between user and environment.
Published in Chapter: Collaborative Learning in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: A Review of Social, Cognitive and Motivational Perspectives; From: Handbook of Research on Improving Learning and Motivation through Educational Games: Multidisciplinary Approaches
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 23
Avatars and Digital Technology Literacy Applied in Psychology
Any computer-based online social environments where individuals can come together to interact, communicate, and socialize with each other.
Published in Chapter: Avatars and Digital Technology Literacy Applied in Psychology; From: Handbook of Research on Media Literacy Research and Applications Across Disciplines
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 2
The State of Extended Reality Technologies in Language Education and Research
Large 3D digital environments that can accommodate multiple users simultaneously, typically accessed through PCs or gaming platforms.
Published in Chapter: The State of Extended Reality Technologies in Language Education and Research; From: Emerging Concepts in Technology-Enhanced Language Teaching and Learning
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 46
Online Human Activity Networks (OnHANs): An Analysis Based on Activity Theory
A Virtual World is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are 3-D graphical representations of the users.
Published in Chapter: Online Human Activity Networks (OnHANs): An Analysis Based on Activity Theory; From: Handbook of Research on Web 2.0, 3.0, and X.0: Technologies, Business, and Social Applications
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 119
Web 2.0 Concepts, Social Software and Business Models
Virtual worlds are massive multiplayer online games (MMOG) which are either massive multiplayer online role-play games (MMOPRG) or unstructured worlds called multi-user environments (MUVE) based on (Mennecke et al., 2008).
Published in Chapter: Web 2.0 Concepts, Social Software and Business Models; From: Encyclopedia of E-Business Development and Management in the Global Economy
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 690
Virtual Worlds in the Educational Context
Are tools that simulate the real world in a three-dimensional environment, providing users the sense of immersion in a controlled environment with many opportunities and experiences.
Published in Chapter: Virtual Worlds in the Educational Context; From: Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 4
It Is Real Colouring?: Mapping Children's Im/Material Thinking in a Digital World
Virtual worlds (e.g. Club Penguin, Webkinz, Minecraft) are environments or worlds housed in a pre-defined digital space, typically on a particular website or within an application. These worlds typically require a user to select or create an avatar to represent him/herself and this avatar is then used to explore the world. Virtual worlds can be hosted in either online or offline environments and allow users to interact with non-playable characters and/or other users via their selected avatar.
Published in Chapter: It Is Real Colouring?: Mapping Children's Im/Material Thinking in a Digital World; From: Handbook of Research on the Societal Impact of Digital Media
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 21
Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment and NPC: A Perspective about Intelligent Agents Ubiquitous
Are tools that simulate the real world in a three dimensional environment, providing users the sense of immersion in a controlled environment with many opportunities and experiences.
Published in Chapter: Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment and NPC: A Perspective about Intelligent Agents Ubiquitous; From: Handbook of Research on 3-D Virtual Environments and Hypermedia for Ubiquitous Learning
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 16
Challenges and Research in Virtual Worlds and Augmented Reality in the Educational Field
Are tools that simulate the real world in a three-dimensional environment, providing users the sense of immersion in a controlled environment with many opportunities and experiences.
Published in Chapter: Challenges and Research in Virtual Worlds and Augmented Reality in the Educational Field; From: Handbook of Research on Teaching With Virtual Environments and AI
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 25
Authentic Learning in Second Life: A Constructivist Model in Course Design
A computer-based simulated 3D environment where students can interact with each other through avatars in real time
Published in Chapter: Authentic Learning in Second Life: A Constructivist Model in Course Design; From: Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 19
The Neogeography of Virtual Cities: Digital Mirrors into a Recursive World
Are representations of reality usually formed in 3D which enable users to enter the world and represents themselves as avatars, thus communicating with other in the world while at the same time transforming the world for educational, leisure or business purposes
Published in Chapter: The Neogeography of Virtual Cities: Digital Mirrors into a Recursive World; From: Handbook of Research on Urban Informatics: The Practice and Promise of the Real-Time City
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 3
A Perspective on the Application of Mastery Learning Theory in Virtual Worlds
3D environments that simulates real things with virtual users that can interact with various types of objects and between them.
Published in Chapter: A Perspective on the Application of Mastery Learning Theory in Virtual Worlds; From: Handbook of Research on Collaborative Teaching Practice in Virtual Learning Environments
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 23
Breaking Away: How Virtual Worlds Impact Pedagogical Practices
Online environments that are intended for users to inhabit and interact with one another.
Published in Chapter: Breaking Away: How Virtual Worlds Impact Pedagogical Practices; From: Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environments
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 45
Integrating the Real and Virtual World for Academic Language Education in Second Life
An online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another, use and create objects.
Published in Chapter: Integrating the Real and Virtual World for Academic Language Education in Second Life; From: Handbook of Research on Didactic Strategies and Technologies for Education: Incorporating Advancements
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 19
Collaboration Intricacies of Web 2.0 for Training Human Resource Managers
Three dimensional electronic recreations of physical spaces, in which users can interact via an “avatar” with other users, and engage in a wide range of activities that are user orchestrated and maintained.
Published in Chapter: Collaboration Intricacies of Web 2.0 for Training Human Resource Managers; From: Encyclopedia of Human Resources Information Systems: Challenges in e-HRM
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 5
Digital Citizenship in Virtual Environments
A persistent computer simulated environment inhabited by avatars with a sense of presence and shared understanding of experience through interaction.
Published in Chapter: Digital Citizenship in Virtual Environments; From: Recent Advances in Applying Identity and Society Awareness to Virtual Learning
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 27
Understanding and Using Virtual Ethnography in Virtual Environments
A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. World building can be a principle goal (Active Worlds) and the world can serve as a means of real-world communication.
Published in Chapter: Understanding and Using Virtual Ethnography in Virtual Environments; From: Handbook of Research on Methods and Techniques for Studying Virtual Communities: Paradigms and Phenomena
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 36
New Technologies to Support Educational Inclusion
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 13
Avatars for Clinical Assessment: Digital Renditions of the Self as Innovative Tools for Assessment in Mental Health Treatment
Permanent virtual environments where multiple users can interact with each other thanks to the use of avatars.
Published in Chapter: Avatars for Clinical Assessment: Digital Renditions of the Self as Innovative Tools for Assessment in Mental Health Treatment; From: The Psychology and Dynamics Behind Social Media Interactions
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 16
Librarian as Collaborator: Bringing E-Learning 2.0 Into the Classroom by Way of the Library
Virtual worlds are websites where users can inhabit and interact within a virtual space using an online identity called an avatar. One of the most popular virtual worlds is Second Life. Virtual worlds like Second Life, are crafted by the people who inhabit them and they mimic the real world with commerce, the arts, and educational activities going on at all hours. As a user in Second Life, one can buy property and items, build buildings, conduct meetings or classes, and even visit places that may also exist in the physical world such as art galleries and universities
Published in Chapter: Librarian as Collaborator: Bringing E-Learning 2.0 Into the Classroom by Way of the Library; From: Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in E-Learning: Issues and Trends
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 3
The Case for Qualitative Research Into Language Learning in Virtual Worlds
Nowadays, these are mostly three-dimensional computer simulation platforms which users can access via an avatar. These platforms may be used to interact with other people such as Second Life™ or for online gaming with other players such as World of Warcraft.
Published in Chapter: The Case for Qualitative Research Into Language Learning in Virtual Worlds; From: New Technological Applications for Foreign and Second Language Learning and Teaching
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
Chapter 21
ICT Support to Those Providing Care to Elderly: Pilot Training Activities in Greece in the Realm of the DISCOVER Project
A virtual world is an online community that often takes the form of a computer based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of avatars visible to others. These avatars usually appear as textual, two-dimensional, or three dimensional representations, although other forms are possible (auditory and touch sensations for example). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.
Published in Chapter: ICT Support to Those Providing Care to Elderly: Pilot Training Activities in Greece in the Realm of the DISCOVER Project; From: Handbook of Research on Innovations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia
Full Text Chapter Download: US $37.50 Add to Cart
eContent Pro Discount Banner
InfoSci OnDemandECP Editorial ServicesAGOSR