Download and create an avatar in Second Life or There.com or some other 3-D online space. Many theorists and researchers are saying that this is the next learning context. How do you feel about this based on your experiences there? How would a 3-D learning context improve learning and/or cognition? How might it hurt learning and/or cognition?
I think it is a bit ambitious to call it THE next learning context. It is certainly another learning context.
A 3-D learning context can improve learning or cognition for certain things. Simulating interior design of real buildings most immediately comes to mind. It would be a useful tool for designing space to accommodate human pedestrian traffic, since people are constantly walking (or flying) around galleries, malls, and plazas.
I do not think that a 3-D learning context is useful for viewing video or images, or for reading text, yet people present information in those formats in 2nd Life. For those elements, the interface inhibits learning, in my experience. Content management websites, such as Flickr or YouTube offer much faster delivery, cheaper bandwidth, and more tools for organization and sharing.
I do not think that a 3-D learning context can provide a suitable replacement for people who like to learn kinetically. Manipulating an avatar with a mouse does not provide the same tactile experience as does manipulating legos, making ice cream from scratch, or brushing a person’s hair.
Tags: cognition, cognitive development, cognitive psychology, learning contexts
