"The Uses of Virtual Worlds in Education"
Class rooms have already begun to change from solely relying on traditional chalkboard methods of teaching to watching videos and utilizing online resources to help facilitate teaching to students. Our lives are becoming increasingly reliant on technology's support and the way we interact with our environments is becoming increasingly intertwined with portable devices and computers. There is no reason why the classroom should escape from this technological convergence.
I can remember playing computer games that delt with learning math and reading as a child. Todays children have access to virtual reality learning games such as "Whyville," a virtual world used to educate kids on epidemiology and "River City," a virtual environment used to show kids a glimpse at life in the late 1800's. These games make learning much more exciting for kids who live in a technological world. They could just be the beginning for virtual teaching methods. One day we might be attending college classes through an avatar or experiencing the lecture subject in 3D. The physical classroom may cease to exist as we know. Despite the benefits, I hope this never happens.