Title: The genesis of a virtual world – revisited

Authors: Robert L. Sanders

Addresses: Leadership and Educational Studies, Appalachian State University, Edwin Duncan Hall, ASU Box 32086, Boone, NC 28608–2086, USA

Abstract: Constructing a virtual world requires certain technical skills and the ability to make difficult decisions regarding how the world will look and feel. However, the most difficult aspect of building a virtual world has less to do with the building of the virtual spaces and more to do the conceptualisation of how teaching and learning will occur in this new type of environment. This paper examines some of the issues involved in the process of planning a virtual learning world by focusing on key design questions that need to be asked prior to building virtual instructional spaces.

Keywords: social constructivism; virtual worlds; instructional design; learning communities; action learning; distance education; web based communities; teaching.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2007.014238

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2007 Vol.3 No.3, pp.271 - 282

Published online: 27 Jun 2007 *

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