Most past and current learning technologies have been one- or two-dimensional in presentation. This may be fine if one is looking at a map or even a fine painting. However, to fully appreciate the detail of a statue or a machine part, it is better to be able to look at it from all sides. Use of holographic images allows an item to be shared with a…

Sigmund Tobias came to the United States in 1948, after his family had fled to China from the Holocaust in Europe. His Memoir ("Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghai") describes that part of his life. He settled in New York, where he completed his B.A. and M.S. in School Psychology from the City College of New York, and a…

Clark Aldrich is the founder and Managing Partner of Clark Aldrich Designs, and is known as a global education visionary, industry analyst, and speaker. In this interview, he responds to questions about his ideas, his work, and his theories.

One of the key trends in learning technology in recent years has been the growing interest in simulations and serious games. Much of the research into simulations and serious games has tended to focus on aspects of fun and engagement rather than on what is happening in the process to cause transferable learning. Much of it has been based on small…

In the past decade, virtual worlds have progressed from isolated sectors of the Internet, inhabited by computer and fantasy role-playing enthusiasts, to one of the fastest growing sectors in the gaming industry. In the process, they have established themselves as promising venues for the delivery of online instruction. Unfortunately, during that…

Educators have been paying attention to the teaching potential of the 3D virtual world browsing program Second Life, and they have been using the tool to teach subjects such as arts and mathematics in the past few years. In this article, the author focuses on how to teach language arts in Second Life. Advantages and disadvantages of two Second…

Avatars are gaining popularity as an emerging technology to facilitate learning and instruction. Avatars can be used as agents of e-learning applications or as part of immersive learning environments such as Second Life. Research indicates that avatar use has numerous potential benefits, including increased student engagement and opportunities for…

Virtual classrooms and virtual activities have waxed and waned, with most focusing on fostering learning in the cognitive domain and, realistically, most becoming rapidly discontinued. But social virtual realities (SVR) are uniquely "social," so what about interpersonal skills? This article describes the authors' experiences exploring SVR as a…

This article examines the affordances of virtual worlds for initiating a transformative learning experience for adults. In particular, it addresses the capacity of virtual worlds to allow creation of an alternate self which requires some level of personal self-reflection; provide atypical experiences that can initiate reflection; allow experience…

The authors describe a video-enhanced process for promoting teachers' transformative learning. The non-linear process includes awareness, immersive reflection, and dialogue. The desired result would be holistic change that can be evidenced through change in teaching practice. The article provides a rationale, theoretical support, and some selected…

Distance learning, open source courseware, e-books, wikis, and many other innovative technologies have impacted the education fields by connecting any topic in any discipline to any learner in any place. Drexel University's School of Education capitalized on these possibilities earlier this year by hosting its second annual live and online Virtual…

The authors describe the steps in the ethical decision-making process and show how employers and educators are addressing ethical gray areas using innovative simulations in order to better prepare employees and other personnel to face ethical challenges head-on. The model outlined in this article can be used as a teaching and training tool to…

Stories offer a powerful framework for engagement, reflection, and other important skills that young people need to learn. As digital media have expanded, so have the possibilities for creating stories. Here, several examples of those new possibilities are examined, examples that highlight student-produced online broadcasting initiatives,…

This article explores how the future of mobile learning games lies in the blurring of the line between fun and learning, between in-school and out-of-school. Accomplishing this requires new paradigms as well as new technologies. Mobile learning games can be the conduits between the world of school and the world of life, and make them both more fun…

"Second Life" is a popular example of an immersive, three-dimensional, virtual world. Inhabitants of "Second Life" often describe their experiences in-world as having great social presence. Certainly there is a good deal of potential for education and training to occur in multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), if designed properly, especially…