Immersive+Learning

**A definition of Immersive Learning**
from Karl Kapp, author of Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration (Essential Knowledge Resource (Pfeiffer) []

//Immersive Learning—An umbrella term that refers to an online educational experience which is highly interactive in which the learning engages with the content to facilitate the learning. Immersive Learning includes the concepts of games, online Simulations and Virtual Learning Worlds//

From MIT Press: collection of essays “[|Opening Up Education:] [| The Collective Advancement of Education through Open Technology, Open Content, and Open Knowledge] with an [|introduction by John Seely Brown]

Technology, of course, is key, and I want to dwell on only two aspects of how technology can now transform our learningscape: immersion and intelligent tutoring systems. Immersion is a concept that has received all too little attention in the learning literature. Consider, for example, how every one of us has learned the immensely complex system that is our own native language. We learn language through immersion and desire. Immersion comes from being surrounded by others talking and interacting with us and is furthered [sic] facilitated by our deep desire to interact, be understood and express our needs. We learn language fearlessly and constantly. Nearly everyone with whom we interact is a teacher for us—albeit an informal teacher, encouraging us to say new things, correcting us, extending our vocabulary, and so on. This simple form of immersion is fundamentally social in nature. In today’s high tech, graphically rich world we now have almost limitless opportunities to leverage immersion. We can now build simulation models of cites, historic events, atomic structures, biological and mechanical systems to name just a few. Our challenge becomes how to share the vast simulations and data bases that already exist and share them in a way that others can extend, remix and compose them in order to expand their reach and scope. I still dream of a virtual human system where I can explore any aspect of how our bodies function from organs to cells to membranes. There are promising signs, but as of yet we have no real framework for constructing and sharing modules of such a system. But if we can entertain the semantic web, perhaps we could entertain a vast and recursively interconnected web of simulations. No one group can build it all, but many could contribute, including students themselves.

The above was quoted in a blog by Will Richardson, “Learner in Chief” at Connective Learning and the author of [|Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms] His Blog entry with an interesting perspective on Immersive Learning: []

Educase Web Page with links to 2 different podcast dealing with immersive learning: []

Research dealing with Immersive Learning
Copy of article by [|Jackie Marsh] from the University of Sheffield, ‘Young Children’s Play in Online Virtual Worlds’ from [|Journal of Early Childhood Research]. []

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Learning Without Frontiers: []

Examples of Immersive Learning
Blogg Posts: Karl Kapp on algebra [] Karl Kapp on 2nd language learning []

Links: IUP Doctoral class project created using Second Life as a learning game. []

Games:

Serious Games Institute: [] Project eVite from the Serious Games Institute. Deals with crosscultural experiences in Europe. Blog about experiences: []

Moonbase Alpha, a Moon simulation game created by NASA about the game: [] Link to game: []

A Game teaching about plagarism: []

Moshi Monsters, a VERY IMPRESIVE online world in which children adopt and care for monsters. Uses educational puzzles for inworld token earning. The puzzles are complex learning puzzles which adapt themselves to the learners ability. Free, but can pay for upgrade. Has over 22 million worldwide users. [], [], []