Virtual Worlds Come Of Age

Virtual worlds have been purported to provide a fertile bed for marketing and brand-building for real-life companies. In Second Life, for example, there was a flurry of media hype and activity by companies in the period from 2007-2008. Several years on, however, the reality is that most of the big name brands have pulled out of Second Life. One of the reasons for this is the poor level of value generated for customers by the virtual brand experience, poor interactivity, a lack of brand and channel fit, and inadequate understanding of virtual communities. Recently, a new form of more targeted brand offerings has emerged. Branded virtual worlds, many of which are targeted at the youth segment, are growing rapidly. Many of these worlds attempt to bridge the gap between the real and virtual worlds, including advertising and real-world tie-ins, as well as subscriptions and digital micro-transactions. This paper examines one such virtual world, buildabearville.com, and its real-world counterpart, Build-a-Bear Workshop. This successful case study has become increasingly important in driving revenues and cross-channel activity for the company. The paper rounds off with conclusions and implications for practice in this very new area of investigation.

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3D Interactions between Virtual Worlds and Real Life in an E-Learning Community

Advances in Human-Computer Interaction ◽

10.1155/2011/684202 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ulrike Lucke ◽

Raphael Zender

Keyword(s):

Learning Community ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Real World ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Real Life ◽

Face To Face ◽

Learning Platform ◽

E Learning ◽

Learning Scenarios

Virtual worlds became an appealing and fascinating component of today's internet. In particular, the number of educational providers that see a potential for E-Learning in such new platforms increases. Unfortunately, most of the environments and processes implemented up to now do not exceed a virtual modelling of real-world scenarios. In particular, this paper shows that Second Life can be more than just another learning platform. A flexible and bidirectional link between the reality and the virtual world enables synchronous and seamless interaction between users and devices across both worlds. The primary advantages of this interconnection are a spatial extension of face-to-face and online learning scenarios and a closer relationship between virtual learners and the real world.

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Building Virtual Communities for Health Promotion Emerging Best Practices through an Analysis of the International Health Challenge & Related Literature in Second Life

Ubiquitous Health and Medical Informatics ◽

10.4018/978-1-61520-777-0.ch020 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 412-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sameer Siddiqi ◽

Rebecca E. Lee

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Best Practices ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Real World ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

International Health ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Health Challenge ◽

Health Related

Contemporary Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) allow health educators, researchers, and practitioners (ERPs) to engage students, participants, and patients through innovative and uniquely rewarding methods. The technology’s value lies in its access to non-traditional participant pools, novel forms of social interaction, and cost-effective improvements to existing methods. These benefits are built on key Web 2.0 principles, namely social networking, community synthesis, and collaborative content generation. In light of ongoing dynamic development of virtual platforms, advancements in networking and immersion technology, and sustained consumer interest, the appeal of these environments will likely increase. Linden Lab’s Second Life (SL), a widely recognized and heavily populated MUVE, illustrates the technology’s broad spectrum of possibilities through the documented efforts of early adopters involved in health promotion, research, and therapy. However, ERPs must be mindful of the medium’s complexities, technological and social parameters, and weaknesses before considering development within virtual worlds (in-world). As these environments operate independently of the real world in some aspects, knowledge of gathering and creating relevant in-world and real-world resources, attracting and retaining project interest, and addressing common obstacles is essential. Through an analysis of the Texas Obesity Research Center at the University of Houston’s International Health Challenge in SL and the documented findings of past and existing health-related programs in SL, the authors seek to provide best practices to overcome these challenges and establish realistic parameters for program design and implementation.

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A Pedagogical Model for Virtual World Residents: A Case Study of the Virtual Ability Second Life Island

Journal of Virtual Worlds Research ◽

10.4101/jvwr.v2i1.417 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Marjorie A. Zielke ◽

Thomas Roome ◽

Alice B. Krueger

Keyword(s):

Adult Learning ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Real Life ◽

Community Support ◽

Physical Activities ◽

World Community ◽

New Residents

Many benefits are available to people with disabilities who wish to participate in a virtual world. These include self-efficacy and the ability to share in virtual world community support. Further, many disabled residents of virtual worlds can vicariously experience physical activities through their avatar such as dancing, walking, and running – actions sometimes not possible in real life. However, learning the technology in a virtual world can be daunting for many new residents. Virtual Ability Island in Second Life® offers a platform for adults with disabilities to learn the functionality necessary to enter a virtual world. This article lays out a learning model based on the andragogy theory of Malcolm Knowles, often called the father of adult learning, and complemented by other recent research on e-empowerment and virtual designs for those with disabilities. A composite construct is then created as a framework to study the development of Virtual Ability Island as a destination where new residents to Second Life® with disabilities can learn basic functionality and enjoy social and physical e-empowerment.

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Second Language Teaching in Virtual Worlds

Multi-User Virtual Environments for the Classroom ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-545-2.ch025 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 412-437 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paulo Frias ◽

Ricardo N. Fernandes ◽

Ricardo Cruz

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Real Life ◽

Learning Contexts ◽

E Learning ◽

Language Context

This project is a proposal for a case study that aims to describe and understand communicative and pedagogical processes involved in Second Life® (SL™) in a context of second language learning, by modelling in-world lessons of Portuguese as a second language for ERASMUS students1 arriving in Portugal. The purpose is to provide examples of situated e-learning driven activities and perceive how an immersive context stimulates learning by involving students in a virtual reality situation, where real life language context situations are provoked and where ‘not possible in real life’ learning routines happen. This will allow experiencing the advantages of this platform compared to physical life teaching and learning contexts, through the inherent characteristics of this medium, such as the synchronous and simultaneous use of voice and text.

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Virtual World and Real World Permeability: Transference of Positive Benefits for Marginalized Gay and Lesbian Populations

Journal of Virtual Worlds Research ◽

10.4101/jvwr.v1i1.284 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jonathan Cabiria

Keyword(s):

Virtual Worlds ◽

Real World ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Real Life ◽

Gay And Lesbian ◽

Positive Experience ◽

Positive Coping ◽

The Social ◽

Positive Experiences

This study looks at how marginalized gay and lesbian people experience social pressures to conform to hetero-normative culture, how those pressures may lead to negative states, and how positive experiences in online virtual worlds would provide benefits over time and, presumably, become transferable into real life. I will show that engagement with Second Life can be a positive experience and that this positive experience can extend beyond the virtual world to provide lasting benefits in real life. The implications for educators are impressive. In creating virtual world communities, educators, psychologists, and other researchers can provide a safe harbor in which marginalized people can more fully explore their identities and develop the positive coping skills needed to deal with real world stigmatizing influences, which originate within the social environment. For scientists and technology innovators, the creation of virtual world communities and gaming/training programs would be an exciting path to explore, especially for those interested in social justice concerns.

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More than just Logging In

Immersive Environments, Augmented Realities, and Virtual Worlds ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-2670-6.ch009 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 149-160

Author(s):

Kae Novak ◽

Chris Luchs ◽

Beth Davies-Stofka

Keyword(s):

Learning Environment ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Common Ground ◽

Content Delivery ◽

Immersive Learning ◽

Delivery Vehicles

This case study chronicles co-curricular activities held in the virtual world Second Life. The event activities included standard content delivery vehicles and those involving movement and presence. Several international content experts were featured and allowed students to meet and discuss ideas on a common ground with these experts. When developing these events, the researchers wondered, could an immersive learning environment be provide a deeper level of engagement? Was it possible to have students do more than just logging in? During the events, the students discovered a whole new way of learning. Chief among their discoveries was the realization that in these virtual world educational events, students, scholars, and faculty can all be mentors as well as learners. In virtual worlds, the expert-on-a-dais model of teaching is rapidly replaced by a matrix of discussion, collaboration, and movement that quickly generates a pool of ideas and knowledge.

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Segmenting Brand Value Perceptions of Consumers in Virtual Worlds

Transdisciplinary Marketing Concepts and Emergent Methods for Virtual Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1861-9.ch001 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stuart J. Barnes ◽

Jan Mattsson

Keyword(s):

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Real Life ◽

Measurement Instrument ◽

Brand Value ◽

Value Perceptions ◽

Modeling Techniques ◽

Electronic Marketing

Virtual worlds are emerging as a promising new channel for electronic marketing and brand-related activities. However, like Second Life. This paper examines the spectrum of perceptions of consumers of four major real-life brands (Armani, Dell, Mercedes and Hublot) that have established operations in Second Life. A survey was conducted using an avatar survey bot (n=1,039). Using the FIMIX-PLS procedure (Ringle et al., 2009), an axiological measurement instrument for brand value and formative modeling techniques, the authors identify segments of consumers with different perceptions of value for each brand. The analysis shows a clear difficulty in establishing ‘emotional’ rapport with consumers in Second Life.

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What’s In It for Me?

Advances in Library and Information Science - Advancing Library Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-3688-0.ch006 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 91-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Esther Grassian ◽

Rhonda Trueman

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Information Sharing ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Low Cost ◽

Real Life ◽

Peer To Peer ◽

Knowledge Innovation ◽

3D Virtual World

Virtual worlds offer synchronous (simultaneous) real life participation through virtual reality, combining the two to provide convenient and low-cost options for librarians’ professional development. This chapter explores the use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, conferences, discussions, mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer information sharing, with a focus on the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Definitions of “professional development” and “virtual worlds” precede discussion of the issues surrounding the use of this type of environment for a variety of training events and activities to support and encourage ongoing expansion of knowledge, innovation, and creativity among librarians. This chapter also includes information about planning and implementing professional development sessions in this arena, along with information on effective methods for publicizing these activities for parties interested in using virtual worlds for professional development. For those interested in attending professional development opportunities in virtual worlds, the chapter provides information on how to discover and choose useful activities and events in virtual worlds.

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The Added Value of 3D World in Professional, Educational, and Individual Dynamics

Advances in Game-Based Learning - Handbook of Research on Collaborative Teaching Practice in Virtual Learning Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2426-7.ch015 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 275-297

Author(s):

Ivonne Citarella

Keyword(s):

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Virtual World ◽

Real Life ◽

Added Value ◽

Economic Opportunities ◽

Fantasy World

The author focused her studies on the series of professional competences which have grown within virtual worlds, and which have been made possible thanks to two main peculiarities: the highly intuitive software and playfulness gaming. The research allowed to classify the various professions born within the Second Life virtual world, these have allowed also to become a viable economic opportunities in real life. In parallel with the observations on the dimension of “work” within Second Life, the author gave also attention to the relational and educational dynamics. The author decided to enact her sociological and didactical experiment in the occasion of the event Salerno in Fantasy, a yearly convention dedicated to the Fantasy world.

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Virtual Worlds

Developing and Utilizing E-Learning Applications ◽

10.4018/978-1-61692-791-2.ch007 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 125-137

Author(s):

Lea Kuznik

Keyword(s):

Virtual Worlds ◽

Second Life ◽

Educational Games ◽

Real Life ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Collective Experience ◽

Sensory Activities ◽

Games And Simulations ◽

Life Education ◽

Educational Field

Virtual worlds for adults (e.g. Second Life), youth (e.g. Habbo) and children (e.g. Whyville) have a great potential for learning and teaching practices for enriching wider public and engendering collective experience and collaboration. Informal learning environments such as educational virtual worlds offer children and adults various intellectual and sensory activities or »crystallized« experiences with reinforcing multiple intelligences, according to Gardner. Virtual worlds promote social interaction and offer visitors an opportunity for various interactive activities which can sometimes not be realized in real life education. Children and adults can explore and learn in a different way and from a different perspective, e.g. with educational games and simulations. Virtual worlds represent a new medium that allows people to connect in new virtual ways and offer new challenges in the educational field.

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