Teaching merely through books and lectures is quickly becoming overpowered by learning through the many forms of multimedia and Web based content students are exposed to every day. Obtaining information and multitasking through these many mediums is not simply a skill, but it is a way of life for many students and teachers. Education is changing. For this very reason we should be proactive towards reaching out to students through non-traditional means to enhance teaching and learning. Our particular focus is teaching and learning through multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs). The educational community has certainly seen an increase in interest for teaching in MUVEs like, Second Life, Twinity, There, and World of Warcraft, just to name a few.

The idea of using multi-user virtual environments is often met with skepticism and objections. Many even consider these tools as too technical for present students with significant barriers of entry. Even more challenging seems the idea of porting traditional classroom material into this new medium. The plasticity of these environments, however, allows us venues to create simulations that truly immerse the students in a particular subject and can also serve as another platform for online education. Through the use of innovative technology we can reach a new generation of learners.



Objective

This book aims at becoming a key component of any technology-oriented university-level education course that wishes to include multi-user virtual environments in its curriculum or as a method of content delivery. The content of this book will assist educators to develop lessons to use these environments for teaching. We are seeking a combination of small case studies, examples, lesson plans, and advice to be included as chapters for this book.



The Publisher
This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2011.