Virtual Learning Worlds (VLWs) are a multi-user virtual online environment that is structured for learning, but allows the learner to alter and manipulate elements in the environment, within social and structural organization.

Learner Applications: Communicate, demonstrate, present, lead discussion, facilitate group work, collaborate, perform, create

Instructor Applications: Interact with multiple student at one time, lead discussion, observe student work, model, demonstrate

Examples:

• Active Worlds - Examples of a comprehensive platform for efficiently delivering real-time interactive 3D content over the web.
• Cybertown - A virtual world where individuals can create their own identities, events, or clubs.
• Entr.opia - Similar to SL, this virtual world offers a robust economy for trade
• MetaPlace - Allows you to create, share, and live in your own unique virtual world.
• Project Wonderland - a 100% Java and open source toolkit for creating collaborative 3D virtual worlds. Within those worlds, users can communicate with high-fidelity, immersive audio, share live desktop applications and documents and conduct real business. Wonderland is completely extensible; developers and graphic artists can extend its functionality to create entire new worlds and new features in existing worlds.
• There.com - Similar to Activeworlds and Second Life, this environment has few interactive modalities, ie. no voice.
  
• The Manor - A virtual world where members can create private or shared spaces.
• Virtual-U (HE) - Virtual U is designed to foster better understanding of management practices in American colleges and universities.

Services/Software:

• Blue Mars - (available June 1, 2009) A free to play massively multiplayer virtual world featuring stunning graphics, realistic characters, and endless social bonding activities. The Blue Mars virtual world is made up of an expanding set of independently operated cities that feature unique themes, activities, and attractions such as shopping, avatar customization, unique personal spaces, and games like dancing, racing, and golf. Cites on Blue Mars are tied together with a unified login system, persistent global Avatar ID, and platform wide participation based reward system that encourages users to explore, play, and make new friends.
• Croquet - A powerful new open source software development environment and software infrastructure for creating and deploying deeply collaborative multi-user online applications and metaverses on and across multiple operating systems and devices.
• Lively - Design chat rooms, create avatars
• Second Life Grid for Education - A flexible platform for educators interested in distance learning, computer supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and corporate training. See the Second Life Insider.
• OpenSim - a 3D Application Server that can be used to create a virtual world which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols.
• Project Wonderland - a 100% Java and open source toolkit for creating collaborative 3D virtual worlds. Within those worlds, users can communicate with high-fidelity, immersive audio, share live desktop applications and documents and conduct real business.

Successful Practices:

• Annotated Research Bibliography

References: