Socially Constructed Virtual Artifacts

Virtual artifacts refer to nonphysical objects created either in the human mind or in the digital environment such as the Internet, intranet, cyberspace, or virtual reality. Virtual artifacts that are constructed through social collaboration are called socially constructed virtual artifacts. Virtual artifacts have become an essential cultural phenomenon and are affecting physical world events and people’s lives. In the education sector, virtual artifacts have become an emerging teaching and learning tool, especially in the incorporation of digital technology in learning institutions. Thus, an understanding of how virtual artifacts are constructed socially and how this affects education is vital in handling the incorporation of the current technology phase in the social learning community. This entry first discusses the social [Page 673]construction and historical development of virtual ...