Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can be used in many ways. A few schools have taken advantage of virtual worlds. According to the article “The Virtual World Moves into the Classroom,” virtual worlds provide an unimaginable experience for students because it is interactive. Social studies teachers gain a lot from the use of virtual worlds because they can take their students on a virtual tour of a historical event without spending thousands of dollars on a trip. Learning through virtual worlds has a positive effect on student’s learning because they tend to “remember what they’ve encountered in the virtual worlds.” Virtual worlds can also help children engage in their imagination and feel connected with others. The article “After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?”, states that children can experience this by playing Minecraft. Minecraft is a virtual world that allows its users to build and explore while being connected with other users with the same goal. It is a great way to foster creativity in children since their generation is growing up with advanced technology. They can build and design their own worlds through a mobile device. Virtual worlds serve a great purpose in children’s lives, but it can create problems when used in other ways.

 As always with anything done online, the main concern is whether it is safe for children. This concern was made a reality when Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game, was released. Besides everyone going crazy for it, malicious users were using it to target victims. Children became very susceptible to it because they were walking around town without parent supervision. I strongly believe we will see more of virtual worlds in the future. It has some useful purposes if used for good reasons. I can see it being introduced into the classroom more, especially for subjects such as social studies and art classes that focuses on designs.

Works Cited:

After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get A Reboot. April 30, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/ 

The virtual world moves into the classroom Posted by Joe Earle | Sep 14, 2018 https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2018/09/14/the-virtual-world-moves-into-the-classroom/