Future+Direction


 * Future direction in the virtual world**

Virtual worlds are now becoming larger than ever. Worlds are overlapping to build one big virtual environment on the internet. An example of this emerging technologies include Sloodle. Sloodle is a merge of Second Life ( the largest virtual world on the net) and Moodle. Second life is a virtual world primarily focused on social networking. Moodle is mainly focused on management and organization in not only education but in the virtual community as well. This site integrates virtual worlds and course management. Sloodle's virtual world approach hints at new options for learning social skills in an interactive way with others online. Another upcoming 3D virtual learning environment called Edusim is used in classrooms on an interactive whiteboard surface. Using the whiteboard surface allows the manipulation of 3D virtual objects.

Virtual environments are being taken to a whole new level by having different environments for different subjects. For exmaple, Umgumbo is a 3D virtual learning environment that is set in a solar system setting, so that children can learn about the solar system through simulation of the planets. This site is also still trying to come up with educational virtual gaming as well as students and teachers being able to collaborate and create personal 3D spaces on the site to interact with one another on what they have learned.

A MOO or multiuser object- oriented environment, is a text-based virtual environment where users can hold discussions. Educational MOO, or eduMOO, is when teachers and students can collaborate on projects, attend sessions hosted by experts, and build virtual environments. An educational MOO can accommodate many teaching styles by use of internal e-mail, documents, whiteboards, and virtual classrooms that offer a student-centered learning environment.