Short description:

The monograph presents a complex analysis of education in three-dimensional virtual worlds (VW). The author focuses on the so-called "serious virtual worlds" only, as opposed to games. The largest SVW nowadays is Second Life. In the first chapters, the author analyses virtuality and synthetic worlds in relation to selected learning theories. Many examples of educational projects in VWs are also given. Author's methodology of research on educational functionality of VWs is presented, together with the original Educational Package (EP) for language teaching in VWs. The last part of the book is devoted to EP in action. A large research project on 70 university students is described. Finally, the author draws some conclusions together with pedagogical and glottodidactic directives.

The book has been published in the Polish language, however, it is going to be translated to English. It's original title is "Funkcjonalność edukacyna światów wirtualnych."

Table of contents (translation from Polish) :

INTRODUCTION 9

1. THE HUMAN IN VIRTUAL WORDLS 23
1.1. Virtuality, cyberspace, synthetic worlds 26
1.2. Virtual worlds and Wolfgang Welsch's Kuenstlichen Paradiesen 34
1.3. Physical reality and virtulal reality 38
1.3.1. Feeling real in a virtual environment 39
1.3.2. Immersion and its typology 47
1.4. Identity, visuality and performance in the virtual world 54
1.5. Virtual wordls and the Social Learning Theory 64
1.6. Virtual worlds and Jerome Bruner's Psycho-Cultural Approach 72
1.6.1. Nine principles of the approach related to virtual worlds 74
1.6.2. Beyond the information given - in virtual worlds 82

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL WORLDS 88
2.1. Variety of virtual worlds 88
2.1.1. Classifications 88
2.1.2. "Serious virtual worlds" as subcategory of VW's 99
2.2. World or Game 103
2.3. Avatar and getting acquainted with the world 112
2.4. Threats and dangers withing the virtual world 120
2.4.1. Griefing 123
2.4.2. Rape in cyberspace 128

3. FUNCTIONALITY OF VIRTUAL WORLDS 131
3.1. Contexts of defining functionality 131
3.2. Functions of media in the educational process - and virtual worlds 137
3.3. The structure of functionality of the virtual world as an educational tool and environtment 142
3.4. Cognitional and instructional functionality 147
3.4.1. Cultural-cognitional functionality 150
3.4.2. Effective functionality - language gain 154
3.5. Emotional and motivational functionality 157
3.5.1. Emotional functions of virtual worlds 157
3.5.2. Motivational functions of virtual worlds 160
3.6. Performative and interactive functionality 162
3.6.1. Interactive-communicative functionality 165
3.6.2. Environmental-social functionality 168
3.7. Technical and tool functionality 171

4. VIRTUAL WORLDS AS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 175
4.1. Examples from virtual worlds: Activeworlds, Twinnity, Inworlds 175
4.2. Second Life as an environment for different didactic disciplines 180
4.2.1. Astronomy, Earth sciences, Ecology 180
4.2.2. Archeology, Architecture, Arts 183
4.2.3. History, Martyrology187
4.2.4. Medicine, Healt, Sports 190
4.3. Second Life as a foreign language learning environment 193
4.3.1. Language schools 194
4.3.2. Educational islands dedicated to language learning 199
4.3.3. VIRTLANTIS and Cypris Village 200
4.3.4. British Council and Goethe Institut 204

5. GLOTTO-DIDACTIC REFLECTIONS FROM TWO WORLDS 207
5.1. Glottodidactis techniques and tools in virtual worlds 208
5.2. Affordances of the physical world and virtual worlds in instruction 217
5.2.1. Exclusive affordances of the physical world 218
5.2.2. Advantages of the physical world over the virtual world 219
5.2.3. Advantages of the virtual world over the physical world 221
5.2.4. Exclusive affordances of virtual worlds 224
5.3. Educational functionality of virtual worlds in academic discourse 228
5.3.1. Criticism of virtual worlds like Second Life 228
5.3.2. Dilemmas of language teaching in virtual worlds 234

6. DESIGNING TEACHING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS 240
6.1. Role of the teacher in virtual worlds environments 241
6.2. From scenario to model 255
6.2.1. Savin-Baden's Scenarios 257
6.2.2. Gilly Salmon's Model 261
6.2.3. Cognitive Apprenticeship Model 272
6.3. Teaching and learning in virtual worlds - research review 274

7. METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH ON FUNCTIONALITY OV VW'S 290
7.1. Research area 292
7.1.1. Research questions and hypotheses 294
7.1.2. Variables and indicators 300
7.2. Methods and techniques 303
7.3. Research tools in the logical order and chronological order 306

8. EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE IN ACTION 310
8.1. Exploration of culture-devoted islands in Second Lfe 311
8.2. Attitudes and feelings towards virtual worlds environments 312
8.3. Assingment Class 314
8.4. Assignment Task1: Dresden Gallery 317
8.5. Assignment Task2: Shopping 322
8.6. Comparison of 2D and 3D virtual environments in practical assignments (tasks) 328
8.7. Assignment Lesson 3D 330
8.8. Assignment Self-Exploring Second Life 333
8.9. Summing up: functionality of Second Life 335

9. RESULTS, CONCLUSION, DISCUSSION 337
9.1. Cognitional and instructional functionality of virtual worlds 338
9.2. Emotional and motivational functionality of virtual worlds 347
9.3. Performative and interactive functionality of virtual worlds 354
9.4. Technical and tool functionality 362
9.5. Additional notes on the Educational Package and the research 366

CONCLUSION 374

BIBIOGRAPHY 383

NETOGRAPHY 396

MINI-DICTIONARY OF VIRTUAL WORLDS 402

APPENDICES 408

Summary in English: EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONALITY OF VIRTUAL WORLDS 422