Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds allow you to create different life experiences for yourself through the use of technology. Virtual worlds can be used just for fun,training/business, or education. In the writing by Chris Lede and Lisa Dawley, The Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology, they discuss how through situated learning students are able to gain experience that they can apply in specific situations. The example they gave was, "a student who manages a store can gain valuable knowledge and skills in business operations, customer relations, and marketing in a authentic way that one could not attain by reading a textbook and writing a paper. Their work then becomes one important contribution to the continuing success of the store and those affiliated with it." With the help of virtual worlds students are able to experience hands on examples making it easier to retain information. Another example of how virtual worlds are used is discussed in the article Avatar II: The Hospital by Stephanie Simon. She discusses how nurses are able to use virtual worlds to practice emergency drills. This allows them to stay prepared for any situation. 

There are some pros and cons to these virtual worlds. Some positive things are that they are a very helpful learning device and allow people to show some creativity by allowing them to create a new life. Some negatives are that virtual worlds may not truly prepare us for real life situations that we come across and people may create new worlds that take over their life making it easy for people to loose a sense of reality.  

 Virtual worlds allow people to become their true selves. People are able to become the people they really want to be by being able to apply different lifestyle choices to a specific character. Some possibilities for the future of virtual worlds is allowing you to enter the game. This can be possible with the help of interactive goggles. You would simply put on a set of goggles and be fully emerged inside the virtual world. You would be able to sense everything that the character feels and completely experience the game yourself.