Will Virtual Worlds revolutionize the way people learn and interact?
Will Web 3D technologies and Virtual Worlds revolutionize the way people learn and interact? What impact will Web 3.0 applications have on Enterprise learning organizations? Chris Badger, VP of marketing for Forterra Systems Inc., a leading provider of virtual world technologies, believes the use for online virtual worlds will become mainstream within five years, and that 2009 will be seen as an important year of transition. He says rising travel costs will help hasten this trend.
Virtual Worlds have the potential to revolutionize the way we learn and the way learning systems are built - and do so in a way that is immediately accessible to the growing number of people worldwide connected to the internet. Web 2.0 is already old news to some organizations who are moving from building flat, static web pages to traversable 3D spaces.
BIG PAYOFFS
What are some big payoffs of using the Virtual World as a learning platform? And how does 3D learning compare with other learning modalities like e-learning or classroom training? Well here are some key benefits we discovered during our current investigation and piloting of using Virtual Worlds as a delivery modality for learning. The Virtual World Platform:
• Provides a fail safe, realistic environment where the learner can learn while doing and then transfer the experience from 3D simulated practice to actual on-the-job performance
• Encourages collaboration by providing an environment where learners can connect, share best practices, and learn from each other via the 3D virtual environment
• Provides a persistent platform for social networking especially at a time when travel budgets are cut
• And last but not least....Allows the learner to be immersed in an environment that’s as close as you can get to the actual environment without really being there. Watch this Cisco example in Second Life to see what we mean.
CHALLENGES
What are some of the challenges for using of a virtual world as a training platform?
Cultural Changes:There’s definitely a learning curve when using virtual worlds as a learning modality for the enterprise. It’s important in making the experience as easy as possible for first time users and engaging and rewarding so they’ll come back.
Scalability:The phenomenal growth and interest in Virtual Worlds has created some expected growing pains. Some platforms can and do scale more gracefully than others. We need to find the platform that has the best fit for our global audience including a platform that supports a wide range of client system requirements.
Platform Readiness:A core problem facing learning organizations is how to take advantage of commercial Virtual World products that are strong in the areas of gaming and social networking but not quite ready for prime time when it comes to training and development. Does it make sense for the enterprise to wait for global standards to emerge in virtual world platforms that meet the needs of the learning community or should we get on the train now by driving the features and requirements we need in a virtual world platform for training applications while influencing the standardization process?
What are some of your thoughts and experiences on payoffs and challenges for using virtual world platforms for enterprise learning and development?
RESOURCES
Quick Read:Value propositions for virtual spaces is a good read for anyone justifying virtual worlds to stakeholders.
Go More Indepth: FAS Virtual Worlds Whitepaper
Posted by Rose Anderson at 11:23PM PST
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