Virtual world for education and entertainment

Abstract

Interest in virtual worlds and their application to learning have increased significantly in recent years. There are many different types of virtual worlds and they are used for a multiplicity of purposes including gaming, play, social networking, learning and development, work, and also business. Virtual worlds are a new tool that we can use to enhance realtime online communication and collaboration and to construct engaging online activities. They provide users with a very strong sense of presence through their avatars and also a sense of space. When we're immersed inside a virtual world, we usually feel that we're really sharing a certain space with other users. There are a number of promising examples showing the benefits of using virtual worlds in i) entertainment and social networking, ii) education and training, iii) e-commerce and e-business; iv) research and development, v) tele-working and tele-conferences; and vi) e-government and public sector information. This paper aims at concentrating on the virtual world in education and entertainment sector.