Virtual World

(noun)

It is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another.

Related Terms

Examples of Virtual World in the following topics:

  • Virtual Worlds

    • Virtual worlds include multiplayer games like World of Warcraft and social networking sites like Facebook.
    • Further, virtual worlds can emerge when people who know each other in reality engage virtually through online messaging services like AOL Instant Messenger and Google Chat.
    • Many studies of virtual worlds have questioned the virtual world's ability to convey nuanced emotional messages as people do in face-to-face interactions.
    • Certainly, users have developed techniques in the virtual world to communicate emotion.
    • While interaction with other participants in virtual worlds can often be done in real-time, time consistency is not always maintained in online virtual worlds.

  • Role Theory

    • A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another.
    • Many studies of virtual worlds have questioned the virtual world's ability to convey nuanced emotional messages as people do in face-to-face interactions.
    • Certainly, users have developed techniques in the virtual world to communicate emotion.
    • Another aspect of social interaction in virtual worlds is variation of interactions between participants.
    • While interaction with other participants in virtual worlds can often be done in real-time, time consistency is not always maintained in online virtual worlds.

  • Cooley

    • For example, in the virtual world Second Life the computer-user can create a humanlike avatar that reflects the user in regard to race, age, physical makeup, status and the like.
    • By selecting certain physical characteristics or symbols, the avatar reflects how the creator seeks to be perceived in the virtual world and how the symbols used in the creation of the avatar influence others' actions toward the computer-user.
    • For example, in the virtual world Second Life, the computer-user can create a human-like avatar that reflects the user in regard to race, age, physical makeup, status, and the like.
    • By selecting certain physical characteristics or symbols, the avatar reflects how the creator seeks to be perceived in the virtual world and how the symbols used in the creation of the avatar influence others' actions toward the computer user.

  • Inclusion of All Five Senses

    • "Virtual reality" is a term that refers to computer-simulated environments.
    • Currently, most virtual reality environments are visual experiences, but some simulations include additional sensory information.
    • Immersive virtual reality has developed in recent years with the improvement of technology and is increasingly addressing the five senses within a virtual realm.
    • Artists have been exploring the possibilities of these simulated and virtual realities with the expansion of the discipline of cyberarts, though what constitutes cyberart continues to be up for debate.
    • Environments such as the virtual world of Second Life are generally accepted, but whether or not video games should be considered art remains undecided.

  • Virtual Classrooms

    • A virtual learning classroom, or online education, is an e-learning education system based on the web.
    • Virtual learning can take place synchronously or asynchronously.
    • There are many virtual learning environments for students in grades K-12.
    • Some of the other benefits of virtual classrooms include the ability to create an international online education course that allows students from various countries to interact with each other: skills that should be developed in an increasingly globalized world.
    • Teachers' lack of knowledge and experience to manage virtual teacher-student interaction.

  • Scenario

    • Mario is currently a ninth grader who attends a local area high school.He enjoys most of his classes but his two favorite subjects are his World Studies course and Introduction to Technology.He has discovered both courses to be very informative and decides to combine his interest in both classes into a project for his technology class.
    • Mario decides his enjoyment of his World Studies course will tie in easily with the technology project.He develops a scenario in which he travels across the world.Mario wants to manage his travel with technology to assist his research as well as document his "experiences".Mario sees a definite connection between the software he is using in his technology class to the goals he plans to accomplish in order to satisfy the project requirements.
    • Deciding first to draft a route for his virtual trip, Mario chooses to travel in an easterly direction around the world until he makes his way back to Georgia .Mario uses Inspiration to construct a flow-diagram of the events and procedures in order to aid his planning and implementation of the trip.Mario sees the flow chart being beneficial to organization and believes it will serve also as a visual tool when presenting the project to his classmates.
    • Mario is interested in having a way to record his thoughts and experiences as he travels virtually across the world.To satisfy this need he constructs a detailed multimedia journal using software called Alpha Journal by the Alpha Realms Company.This software makes easy work of incorporating pictures and documenting comprehensive descriptions of each place he visits.The journal also includes pertinent information giving descriptions of the people, weather, general environment, and socio-economic conditions.Mario also includes several detailed entries of conversations he has with locals through email contact or online chat rooms.
    • By the conclusion of the project, Mario has a large collection of valuable information, which he carefully organizes and synthesizes into an electronic portfolio using Microsoft PowerPoint.He presents and proudly shares specific information of his virtual travels with his classmates.Mario finds using the tools of his Introduction to Technology course has made his virtual journey a project of genuine possibility.

  • Support and Help

    • Today, most major telecommunications, IT and electronic companies run virtual support and help desks to provide user assistance around the world.
    • Virtual help desks, which allow organizations to virtually deploy IT technicians on demand to support users can efficiently manage and allocate organizational resources.
    • Virtual help desks access these systems through support sessions where they can diagnose and fix computer issues quickly.
    • In today's interconnected world, product support and help services are delivered via multiple channels.

  • Types of Networks

    • A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network in which some of the links between nodes are carried by open connections or virtual circuits in some larger network (e.g., the Internet) instead of by physical wires.
    • The data link layer protocols of the virtual network are said to be tunneled through the larger network when this is the case.
    • Not to be confused with a Virtual Private Network, a Virtual Network defines data traffic flows between virtual machines within a hypervisor in a virtual computing environment.
    • Virtual Networks may employ virtual security switches, virtual routers, virtual firewalls, and other virtual networking devices to direct and secure data traffic.
    • The Internet changed the way the world produces and consumes information

  • Digital Surveys

    • Digital surveys are research tools that ask consumers questions in a virtual environment.
    • Digital surveys, also referred to as online questionnaires, are research tools that ask consumers questions in a virtual environment.
    • An online forum allows responses to be received from more subjects and from anywhere in the world .

  • Installation

    • The genre incorporates a broad range of everyday and natural materials, as well as new media such as video, sound, performance, and immersive virtual reality.
    • Artistic collectives such as the Exhibition Lab at the American Museum of Natural History in New York have created environments that showcase the natural world in as realistic a medium as possible.
    • Another emerging method of installation art is immersive virtual reality.
    • By using virtual reality as a medium, the experience can be completely immersive, allowing the spectator to 'visit' the representation the artist creates.
    • An emerging method of installation art is immersive virtual reality, in which the spectator can 'visit' the representation that the artist creates.