Laying the groundwork for socialisation and knowledge construction within 3D virtual worlds

dc.creator	Shailey Minocha
dc.creator	Dave Roberts
dc.date	2008-12-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:08:45Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:08:45Z
dc.identifier	10.3402/rlt.v16i3.10897
dc.identifier	2156-7069
dc.identifier	2156-7077
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/ee1e2c76e59646d4ad7f206e01252649
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/12247
dc.description	The paper reports the theoretical underpinnings for the pedagogical role and rationale for adopting 3D virtual worlds for socialisation and knowledge creation in distance education. Socialisation or ‘knowing one another' in remote distributed environments can be achieved through synchronous technologies such as instant messaging, audio and video-conferencing. However, a 3D virtual world can provide an immersive experience where there is a visual presence and virtual proximity of the group members in terms of their 3D selves (avatars). We discuss the affordances of a 3D virtual world and its role in providing a platform for pedagogical design that engenders socialisation, synchronous communication and collaboration. We propose the use of a knowledge construction model as a framework for guiding the design of collaborative activities in a 3D virtual world for blended learning environments. We believe that this framework will also be useful for integrating 2D environments such as blogs, wikis and forums with a 3D learning environment. We consider the implications of this in the context of blended learning in distance education. This paper would be of interest to course designers, researchers, teachers, staff developers and policy-makers who are involved in integrating 3D virtual worlds within the curriculum of their programmes and institutions.
dc.language	English
dc.relation	http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/10897
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2156-7069
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2156-7077
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	Research in Learning Technology, Vol 16, Iss 3 (2008)
dc.subject	3D virtual worlds
dc.subject	online learning
dc.subject	socialisation
dc.subject	collaboration
dc.subject	synthetic worlds
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.title	Laying the groundwork for socialisation and knowledge construction within 3D virtual worlds
dc.type	article