Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds are online spaces where individuals interact with each other using avatars - two or three-dimensional graphic representations of themselves. Many universities are experimenting with virtual worlds for educational purposes because they provide opportunities for experiential learning through simulation and discovery and immerse distance education students in a visually-enhanced social space.
DELTA is researching a variety of virtual world platforms and solutions for NC State. NCSU faculty who have an interest in effectively using these environments as learning tools in their courses should request an Instructional House Call or contact LearnTech
Second Life
Second Life is a free, stand-alone application that can run on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. DELTA is developing and managing an island in the virtual world called NC State Wolflands where NCSU faculty and students can virtually experience an NC State of the future, meet friends and colleagues, and learn and share together. NC State faculty interested in using Second Life as a tool in their courses can set up a free account and work with DELTA to find ways to use Second Life in their courses. To set up an account and download the client, go to the Second Life website.
ActiveWorlds
ActiveWorlds is a free virtual world technology that runs on Windows platforms. NC State has an ActiveWorlds server and DELTA is investigating the use of ActiveWorlds for online instruction and virtual communities.
