Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds
Virtual Worlds are online stimulations that allow the user to assume an avatar, a cartoonized virtual representation of themselves. Uses Virtual worlds can be helpful in training and education. SecondLife, a popular virtual world, is used by ER nurses at the University of California, San Diego. Using their mouse and keyboard, the nurses walk through a virtual hospital. They can type to speak or use headsets. The nurses are immersed in a world with multiple patients with multiple problems. They may also face virtual natural disasters. Throughout all of the pressure, they must perform their normal tasks and successfully help patients. In a virtual setting, this training helps staff become more knowledgable without taking the risk that their training could negatively impact a real-life if a mistake is made. In education, virtual worlds can be used to take field trips to faraway places. This allows students to visually see topics that they are learning about in textbooks