Virtual Worlds Immersion

 

 In this post I will talk about Virtual Worlds that are featured in The Immersion 2015 in Paris. You can learn more about Immersion 2015 and Immersive Education at http://summit.immersiveeducation.org/.

     Virtual worlds are exactly what they are called. In these worlds you can do almost anything. From recreating buildings to learning about ecosystems, you can do almost anything in a virtual world. In a virtual world, anything is possible.
     One example of virtual worlds is Minecraft. In Minecraft, you can explore a massive randomly generated map and do whatever you like. People explore caves and defeat many creatures, but schools have found ways to use this game as a learning tool. Schools are able to use this to get students in architecture, to recreate famous buildings across the world.

     Second Life is another example of using a virtual world for learning. Second Life is a world where you can create and do practically anything with anyone in the world, much like Minecraft. Many realistic depictions of locations can be created in this game, for example, this recreation of 1920's Berlin. Students at the London College of Fashion held a show on Second Life and had their pieces displayed in the game.

     Virtual worlds can also be used to recreate experiences. For example, on the Meshmoon application, I visited a locomotive museum in Germany, allowing me to view all the exhibits without actually going there. There are also simulations of natural disasters, like earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association created these worlds so that viewers can simulate what it is like under that situation.

     One can even go on field trips in a virtual world. There are many sites on the Internet dedicated to giving less fortunate students a chance to visit a museum or an aquarium. They can even visit simulations of Native American tribe lands if they do so wish. The possibilities are simply endless.






This is an assignment from the Immersive Education course that I am taking at Boston College. The course is called Collaborative Computing. For details, visit the immersive BC portal at http://ImmersiveEducation.org/@/bc