Virtual Worlds in the General Education Curriculum

Abstract

Virtual worlds have been an increasing element in professional training and instruction for some time, with many institutions in higher education becoming interested in integrating virtual worlds into the curriculum. Instructors are integrating these virtual worlds in many cases to supplement traditional courses in higher education, however, only few courses exist that use virtual worlds as a primary topic of study. This paper reports about the use of virtual worlds in a newly created general education course for first year students at a mid-sized university, making virtual worlds the primary focus as well as the primary medium for learning course content. It discusses the rationale for the course development, implementation, lessons learned, and student feedback. The paper concludes with a summary and suggestions for future research.