‘World of Warcraft is My Home From Home’: An Argument for the Protection of Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds have taken on a renewed significance in our contemporary world of social distancing and isolation. Virtual worlds exist independently of the physical world yet allow individuals a degree of verisimilitude of the physical world; including attachment to that world and others in it. This phenomenon is present in Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games which are the primary focus of this work. How the law ought to approach such virtual worlds has been contested since the early days of the internet. Much of the literature in the area looks to utilise established areas of law such as property law, contract law, or intellectual property to solve the novel problems created by virtual worlds. It is perhaps understandable that scholars and judges would opt for established areas of law in light of their knowledge and trust in the same. This traditional approach understands virtual worlds and the items therein as the property of the developer thereby eroding users’ trust in the long term existence of virtual worlds. This article takes a novel and previously unexplored view as to how virtual worlds should be protected in light of the attachment an individual may feel towards virtual worlds irrespective of ownership. It will be established that this attachment is akin to the connection a person may feel towards their home in the physical world. This paper utilises these similarities to question why legal protections are not afforded to individuals and the virtual worlds to which they are connected. In arguing to secure this protection the article draws inspiration from the community empowerment principles of the Localism Act 2011 which allows for land and buildings to be protected as Assets of Community Value

Turystyka kulturowa w cyberprzestrzeni.: Przyczynek do tematyki

Today, advanced digital technology allows people to immerse themselves in the meanders of virtual worlds simulating real reality. Internet users, without leaving home, can visit freely selected tourist facilities and replicas of famous monuments. This new way of exploring the world is called tourism in cyberspace. Although it gives a great chance for close contact with cultural heritage, it happens that the simulated world does not reflect the full truth about reality. He is often depicted in a crooked mirror. Then, instead of satisfying the intellectual and aesthetic needs of the user, it causes cognitive dissonance. The issue of the presence of cultural heritage objects in the digital space requires in-depth assessments and analyses.Zaawansowana technologia cyfrowa umożliwia dzisiaj człowiekowi zanurzanie się w symulujące realną rzeczywistość meandry wirtualnych światów. Użytkownicy internetu, bez wychodzenia z domu, mogą odwiedzać dowolnie wybrane obiekty turystyczne oraz repliki słynnych zabytków. Ten nowy sposób poznawania świata określa się mianem turystyki w cyberprzestrzeni. Choć daje ona dużą szansę na bliski kontakt z dziedzictwem kulturowym, to jednak zdarza się, że symulowany świat nie oddaje pełnej prawdy o rzeczywistości. Często przedstawiany on jest, świadomie lub nieświadomie, w krzywym zwierciadle. Wtedy zamiast zaspokajać intelektualne i estetyczne potrzeby użytkownika, wywołuje u niego dysonans poznawczy. Kwestia obecności obiektów dziedzictwa kulturowego w przestrzeni cyfrowej wymaga więc wnikliwych ocen i analiz

DRIVING DOWN THE VIRTUAL BROADWAY: TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF EDUCATING YOUNG DRIVERS IN VIRTUAL WORLDS

The Clemson University Automotive Safety Research Institute funded the creation of a three-dimensional virtual representation of an established teen driver education program. This virtual safe driving program was created within the public virtual world of Second Life. The overall objective of this project was to explore the use of virtual worlds as potential mediums for teen driver education. The specific objectives of this study were: (1) to adapt and translate the Petty Safe Driving Program curriculum into a virtual world; (2) to create a virtual learning environment that can exist as an engaging, entertaining, and educational program addition; (3) to conduct a series of tests within the virtual world in order to determine if the learning environment is effective for teaching the desired safe driving knowledge; (4) to determine if knowledge acquisition is similar or dissimilar across delivery methods; (5) to use this gathered information to investigate the feasibility of teaching teens safe driving knowledge and practices in the virtual world as well as to help direct future developments on this project. It was found that the virtual safe driving program was effective in imparting a degree of safe driving knowledge over a relatively short period of time. It was also found that the real world program outperformed the virtual program in regards to safe driving knowledge after exposure. However, this may be due in part to limitations of this study. These findings also shed some light on the kinds of design principles that may be better suited to foster effective virtual world learning

Effects of a Virtual Church on the Perceived Spiritual Well-Being of the Elderly: A Qualitative Study of Participants in a Virtual Religious Community

The study purposed to ascertain if the virtual church is a viable alternative to brick and mortar church; and uniquely tailored to virtual teleconference church. It delved into the perceptions of the elder population regarding the phenomenon of virtual church. The study also sought to determine whether there are obstacles in either physical or virtual churches that would impede spiritual growth and can be overcome. Suler’s analysis of virtual church attendee’s experiences guided this qualitative study and theoretical framework. The research was conducted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews consisting of open-ended questions. The questions explored the perceptions of elderly congregants of the virtual teleconference church to determine how the virtual church affects their spiritual growth, the participants’ reasons for choosing a virtual church, and the participant’s comparison of their virtual church experience with their participation in the conventional brick and mortar institution This study found that for the elderly in a virtual church environment (a) neither their denomination nor physical proximity were concerns, (b) there is connectivity with the virtual teleconference church, (c) interaction is important, (d) the virtual teleconference church is not necessarily a replacement for brick and mortar church, (e) the elderly acquiesce to a changing world. Recommendations for further research include surveying a broader field of participants in virtual church, such as the population below the age of 65, the incarcerated, ex-convicts and their families, the differently-abled, homebound, residents of nursing homes, rehabilitation and adult living facilities, hospice patients, and those who fear attending brick and mortar church

LEARNERS AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to present selected literature on learners and collaborative learning in virtual worlds. Research in virtual worlds on collaborative learners is gradually emerging and will gain in significance, particularly in online and distance education environments. It will be argued that the design and functionality of virtual worlds provides a platform for collaboration, particularly for learners that have grown up with digitalized learning environments and may have developed a preference for them. The paper starts with a clarification of terms, a description of the various categories and a chronological overview of the emergence and development of these environments. The familiarisation with the subject matter continues through a discussion of the significance, opportunities and barriers that this medium offers and is followed by an examination of learners' characteristics and their implications for teaching and learning in virtual worlds. Drawing on recent examples of virtual worlds in education and some current statistics, the paper strives to meet the continuing education needs of practitioners and educator using virtual worlds. It concludes with an examination of the challenges and perspectives on collaborative learning in these environments and the trends in virtual worlds that impact the delivery of student learning

Building Grounded Theory with Social Media Data

The growing popularity and constant innovations of social media platforms and applications have transformed ways of interacting, working, creating value and innovating. We elaborate upon how building theory from case studies may be adapted to the opportunities and challenges of social media environments. We delve into key challenges of the research process: case study design, data analysis, and engaging in multi methods

Using Virtual Worlds to Identify Multidimensional Student Engagement in High School Foreign Language Learning Classrooms

Virtual world environments have evolved from object-oriented, text-based online games to complex three-dimensional immersive social spaces where the lines between reality and computer-generated begin to blur. Educators use virtual worlds to create engaging three-dimensional learning spaces for students, but the impact of virtual worlds in comparison to the traditional face-to-face counterpart has been uncertain in terms of multidimensional student engagement. Research has a need to determine the impact of virtual worlds on student engagement in comparison to the traditional face-to-face environment. The study examined the effects of virtual world and face-to-face learning environments on high school foreign language students\u27 emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement, as well as combined engagement. A two-way MANOVA was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on combined student engagement. A 2 x 2 analysis of covariance was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on emotional student engagement. A 2 x 2 analysis of covariance was also used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on cognitive student engagement. A t-test was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on behavioral engagement. The study did not find evidence of overall, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral engagement difference between the two learning environments. The findings indicate the virtual world environment is similar to the traditional face-to-face environment in terms of student engagement. School administrators and teachers can benefit from this research when determining effective means of creating highly engaging learning environments for students. Virtual worlds can be a medium for engaging learning opportunities for students in face-to-face and virtual schools. Additional research in this area is recommended to determine the impact of virtual worlds with different student populations and subject areas

Ludics for a Ludic Society. The Art and Politics of Play

This dissertation provides an analysis of, and critical commentary on, the practice of playfulness as persistent phenomenon in the arts, technology and theory. Its aim is to introduce political reflections on agency through the study of playful technological artefacts, which were largely ignored in the recent discussions on game and play. Following the critical analysis of historic discourses and actual studies of play under differing auspices, and in order to understand play as inherently political agency, this thesis’ research question addresses the immersive effects of playful agency in symbolic exchange systems and in the material consciousness of the player. This thesis conducts an analysis of material cultures, in order to categorise play as technique of an inherent critique of technological culture. It traces the development of contemporary technological objects and their materiality in relation to the application of the concept of affordance in design theory. The author consequently proposes a new category of ‘play affordances’ in order to describe these new requirements of play found in consumer technologies. The structure of the analysis in the distinct chapters is informed by a stringent historic, theoretical and arts analysis and an alternating arts practice. The convergence of these elements leads to insights on further uses, options and perspectives of the research problems discussed, in particular in relation to the requirements of playful interaction in contemporary technologies, which increasingly radicalises the importance of play. The thesis’ hypothesis states that playful practices in arts and technologies provide models for political agency, like the strategic use of Con-Dividualities (Jahrmann 2000). This term describes the concept of shared identities in society or social media consumer technologies, as discussed in historic case studies and the author’s own arts practice, related to the modification of technologies as methodology of arts research. In this way the arts practice and theory of playfulness informs the emergence of a new methodology of research, intervention and participation in society through the arts of play, which is coined as Ludics, as an original outcome of this thesis