Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds have been used for more than a decade in higher education for teaching and learning. Since the 1980s, academics began using virtual worlds as an exciting and innovative new technology to provide their students with new learning experiences that were difficult to provide any other way. But since that time, virtual worlds have failed to maintain their popularity as learning spaces; many builds falling into disuse and many disappearing altogether. The aim of this article is not only to determine why virtual worlds have not become a mainstream teaching tool, but to ascertain why they have even failed to maintain their popularity. In order to do this, the research team surveyed over 200 academics about the barriers and enablers to the use and perceived affordances of virtual worlds in teaching and learning. These responses are examined in relation to academics' past, present and future use, experience and knowledge of virtual world environments.

Citation

Gregory, S., Scutter, S., Jacka, L., McDonald, M., Farley, H. & Newman, C. Barriers and Enablers to the Use of Virtual Worlds in Higher Education: An Exploration of Educator Perceptions, Attitudes and Experiences. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(1), 3-12. Retrieved August 13, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/160824/.

This record was imported from ERIC on November 3, 2015. [Original Record]

ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

Copyright for this record is held by the content creator. For more details see ERIC's copyright policy.

Keywords

• barriers
• College Faculty
• Computer Simulation
• Cooperative learning
• educational technology
• Experiential learning
• Familiarity
• Foreign Countries
• higher education
• learner engagement
• Simulated Environment
• teacher attitudes
• Teacher Surveys
• teaching methods
• technology integration
• Transfer of Training