MUVEs are Flying into the Classroom

Walk, Fly, or Teleport to Learning: Virtual Worlds in the Classroom by Maureen Brown Yoder

This article discussed how virtual worlds are improving the classroom setting. Many teachers are finding that virtual games known as multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs) can actually provide more for students than traditional teaching methods. Hurricane Katrina: Tempest in Crescent City, Ayiti: The Cost of Life and Teen Second Life are all MUVEs that have already been incorporated into the classroom setting. These games were created by the cooperation of Global Kids and GamePill who share the mission of informing the youth about leadership, as well as social and global issues. "Virtual worlds can provide an assortment of learning opportunities, from identity formation to social networking, entrepreneurial skills, and financial literacy," says Barry Joseph, director of Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program. " Students are soaking up the knowledge that stems from these MUVEs. Teenagers from New York and Chicago were selected to participate in a summer camp called I Dig Tanzania back in 2008. While at camp, the students explored “Tanzania’s culture, politics, and scientific research while they explored Second Life. Students drove their virtual jeeps through Virtual Tanzania and saw animated lions, giraffes, elephants, and hippos. They spoke with the international research team in Tanzania via Skype and debated the topic of ecotourism at Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro. Then they discussed paleontology and planned a fossil dig.” This article demonstrated the benefit and knowledge of fusing MUVEs into the curriculum.

Although this article was similar to another one that I have read and posted on, I still decided to post about this article because it further demonstrated what MUVEs are truly capable of. I hope that I will be able to use this form of technology in my future classroom. I really liked the idea of incorporating Skype into a lesson plan. I was thinking that I could have my students play one of these MUVEs that will teach about a different country. Obviously, before this lesson plan I would set up a time and date to have a Skype interview with professors at a university in that country. After I have the students play their in their virtual world, I would have the students interview the professors. This will allow students to ask questions, learn what the country is truly like, while making real-world connections. Most technologies have a use in the classroom; we just have to find it!