A Art Café: A 3D Virtual Learning Environment for Art Education

The 3D virtual learning environment (3D VLE) has great potential for future K-12 education (Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux, &Tuzun, 2005; Dickey, 2003, 2005; Lim, Nonis, & Hedberg, 2006). It is a 3D "virtual community" situated in a so-called networked desktop virtual reality. Users can access this partial-immersive virtual reality games or online gaming environments. This article aims to introduce and discuss the potentials and ways of incorporating the 3D virtual learning environment (3D VLE) into art education. Using as a case study Art Cafe, a virtual space employing 3D VLE technology in real time, I will summarize the features and characteristics of this technology as well as address associated conceptual frameworks. I will do this while focusing on the role of students. I will also discuss the limitations and strengths of the technology for art education. This article will shed light on how to implement a 3D VLE and, hopefully, encourage more art educators and teachers to use innovative technologies to deliver and facilitate art instruction. In order to respond to the challenge, a handful of pioneering art educators have explored innovative ways of using emerging technologies to deliver or enrich art instruction (Akins, Check, & Riley,2004; Chung, 2007a, 2007b; Erickson, 2005; Kundu & Bain, 2006; Lai, 2002; Lai & Ball, 2004; Marschalek, 2002; Sweeny, 2004; Taylor, 2004, 2006, 2007; Taylor & Carpenter, 2002; Wiwitkunkasem, 2004). Recently, educators have focused largely on three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (3D MUVE) such as Active Worlds and Second Life.' Such virtual environments look like video rt Cafe: A 3D Virtual Learning Environment for Art Education