2019 EDU: HG: WW: Teachers don't need to learn how to build in virtual worlds to teach there

Teachers don't need to learn 
how to build in virtual worlds 
to teach there 

Virtual Worlds offer great potential for modern instruction at most levels.  But a shift to virtual world instruction could look difficult to present-day teachers.  Here I offer a suggestions on how that difficulty can be minimized.

Universal campus 

for OpenSim

• Sure, some teachers have been building there for years.
• Lots of other people have build things of educational value
• People have been selling products on Kitely Market for years
• Educational items on Kitely Market
• School-related items on Kitely Market
• Universal Campus
• Virtual teacher's assistant  
• Affordances offered by Kitely Organizations and web-worlds

• MUVE update 4/1/2019 VWBPE 2019 April 4-6 (Immersive experiences already started)

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Why MUVEs (virtual worlds) for learning?

• Including affordances offered by Kitely Organizations and web-worlds

Institutional viewpoint

• Low-cost, low-maintenance facilities.
• Controlled-access facilities inworld.
• Instructional interaction places can be provided.
• Group and team interactions places can be provided.
• Social interaction places can be provided.
• Facilities look like a school to everyone, creating an educational atmosphere.
• Instructor and Assistant employee pool is world-wide.
• There are cultural benefits from a world-wide campus
• Division of labor improves efficiency. 

Instructor viewpoint

• Possibly work from home or from neighborhood facility.
• Controlled-access facilities inworld.
• Assistants can provide technical help.
• Assistants can provide specialized instruction.
• Teach in your preferred style, let assistants cover other styles.

Instructor's (teacher's) assistant viewpoint

• Work from home
• Controlled-access facilities inworld.
• Instructor provides class management.  
• You stick to your skills: technical help or specialized instruction.

Student viewpoint

• Work from home or from neighborhood facility.
• Minimal travel time and cost.
• Work in your neighborhood with people who live near you.
• Meet a wide range of students inworld.
• Controlled-access facilities.
• Possibly have classes at your preferred time instead of the school's time.
• Possibly have classes that fit your learning style instead of the school's style.

Parent viewpoint

• Student stays home or attends a neighborhood facility.
• Probably a walk-to place.
• Student works with neighborhood students (locally).
• As safe as your home and your neighborhood.
• Student works with wide range of students inworld.
• Controlled-access facilities inworld.
• Disabilities are left behind in a virtual world. 
• Physical bullying is not possible.  
• Class times and instructional style can be fitted to student needs.

MUVEs of the virtual kind

• MUVEs (Google search)
• Virtual MUVEs in education
• Scholarly articles for virtual MUVEs in education

Educational resources on OpenSimulator

• Education-related resources in Kitely. Of interest educators using the new Kitely VPGs
• Kitely for educators: A virtual campus, educational places, educational products
• Librarians Share Virtual Communities as Resources--Valerie Hill
• Opensim resources for learning     
• Educational Resources in OpenSim Grids
• Metaverse Libraries: Communities as Resources Part 2
• Metaverse Libraries: Communities as Resources Part 1
• Educational resources for virtual worlds: Free. Universal Campus
• Virtual Worlds: Professional Education and Library Resources. Summary

Universal campus

• This campus is available in Kitely 
• And in other places on the hypergrid
• Universal Campus (Details)

Web-world support for education

Web-world classrooms

• Cybalounge web classroom (model). Any instructor could have a classroom to modify as needed
• Classroom in a browser. Walk in, walk around, interact, char, have a conversation. Your classroom is wherever you are
• Chalkboard Tool in 3DWebWorldz.com, Virtual World in a Web Browser
• Teaching Spotlight – MySchool3D Campus on 3DWebWorldz

Not that you need a classroom to teach in

• You can teach anywhere.  
• And on a virtual campus, you can go anywhere (virtually).
• But students may need a classroom as a home base.
• They may want a place to keep things they are working on.
• They may need a place to see their progress and the progress of the whole class.
• They may want a place that collects the products of the class projects.
• Teachers may want a place where parents can see assignments and products. 
• Teachers may want a place for Virtual Teacher's Assistants to meet students. 

If your students want to learn how to build

• Building 101 Beginner's building
• Primland (below) is an instructional game.
• Beginner's building on the Hypergrid. Primland, the building game.  Part 1
• Beginer's building on the Hypergrid. Primland, the building tutorial game, Part 2