Spotlight: VW Illustrations and AI Avatars Enhance Engagement
VWBPE 2025 Spotlight
Presented: April 04, 2025
Speaker: Kayako Mayako (RL: Kay McLennan, Tulane University, School of Professional Advancement)
Categories: Best Practices
Virtual world technologies (like Second Life® & OpenSimulator) enable faculty to offer immersive learning experiences that support college course learning objectives. Still, requiring students to use an avatar to tour in-world virtual learning simulations has proven too time consuming for most overscheduled college students.
During this presentation, alternative uses of virtual world simulations will be demonstrated, including the replacement of flat lecture slides with 3D virtual world diorama illustrations and interactive AI-activated case study avatars. Faculty can screen-share 3D content and interactives during webinars and on-ground class sessions.
In turn, with 68 percent of a sample survey group of 104 college students reporting they find the 3D virtual world illustrations to be “more engaging” than flat slide illustrations, this use case is a potentially promising way to enlarge the use of virtual world learning simulations (in K-12 through graduate education).
Objectives:
Participants will be able to cite the essential features of engaging 3D virtual world dioramas.
Participants will be able to establish an AI-activated case study avatar’s backstory.
Accessibility: SpeakEasy HUD tool
Tags: virtual worlds, learning simulations, AI avatars, case study
