Learning in Virtual Worlds

The medium of multi-user virtual worlds is associated with many acronyms: from MUVE to MMORPG. The term MUVE (multi user virtual environment) tends to occur more in research papers exploring the potential for the medium to impact learning and is often used by computer scientists developing their own environments for this purpose (Dede, Ketelhut, and Ruess, 2004; Barab et al., 2000). Virtual Worlds is the term that has taken on popular meaning, and is used most by the media, commercial service providers, and the public. This is a sign of broader acceptance and the merging of the medium into the mainstream. Regardless of the name, all of these environments are digital and networked. This discussion will use the term virtual worlds, defined as online 3D multi-user, avatar-based systems that support creation of user-generated content. In such systems, data is shared among computers as users interact with and design in the environment. Some of these systems log records of users’ activities, offering a new dimension for assessment. Commercial game developers are expert at accessing this information, analyzing it on the fly, and using the results to support the learning player. However, educators using the medium for creative, project-based learning currently have more limited access to the data and less clearly defined expected outcomes, inhibiting their assessment of students’ work. The assessment methods outlined below therefore include suggestions for ways to make artifacts of learning in MUVEs more easily accessible to classroom teachers.