Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are computer-based immersive experiential environments. These worlds commonly manifest as video games or simulations, but neither game play elements nor simulations (as overt interactive experiences) are necessary for a virtual world. Virtual worlds can manifest in two dimensions (e.g., a text-based adventure such as Legends of Zork), but typically virtual worlds as defined more specifically for educational technology are three-dimensional: a multiuser virtual environment (MUVE) platform such as Second Life, or any number of video games experienced from a first-person perspective. A unique blend of these dimensional forms results in a third manifestation of virtual worlds: the isometric platform, such as the popular video game series Civilization, which is a three-dimensional environment rendered in two dimensions using an isometric tiling engine.

Regardless of dimensionality, these worlds offer a spectrum of immersion for the user, based on a mixture [Page 823]of engaging content and world realism (or engaging context). To achieve such immersion, users can interact with virtual worlds using a variety of interface types that take shape in two- or three-dimensional form. A common combination implemented in virtual-world platforms is a three-dimensional world controlled through direct manipulation of the world itself and by a set of two-dimensional dashboard controls displayed translucently on the display screen between the users and the world. Such an interface setup is commonly referred to as heads-up display, or HUD. Users and computer-controlled characters (often called nonplayer characters, or NPCs) are represented in three-dimensional virtual worlds with avatars that usually take humanoid (bipedal) form. Typically, a choice of two perspectives is offered to users as they navigate a three-dimensional virtual world: a first-person perspective as seen through the eyes of the avatar, and a third-person perspective in which the user can see the avatar as it moves through the space. In either case, the environmental perspective visualized for the user is generated in real time using one or more virtual cameras embodied within the space of the virtual world.

With increased sophistication of computer hardware, three-dimensional virtual worlds can now be experienced by one or more users (synchronously or asynchronously) across a wide range of device platforms, including desktop applications, Web-based applications, smart-phones or handheld devices, and larger tablets. The maturation of touch- and gesture-based interaction (such as tablets and motion-capture systems) has afforded new ways to conceptualize the environments that can be presented in virtual worlds, especially in domains that lend themselves to sophisticated dynamics—such as physics and mechanical engineering.

The hardware and software technologies that drive virtual worlds are continuously advanced by a multibillion-dollar video game industry, as well as simulation training research such as that conducted by the defense industry. Further advancements for implementation of these virtual worlds for education and training are driven by research and development conducted by universities, corporations, and independent research institutions. This entry focuses on the use of virtual worlds in learning, including their use for measurement and assessment, and discusses implications of system dynamics for learning.