Collaborative Research: STEM Education in Virtual Worlds Workshop Series

The significance and importance of this project is the creation of two workshops that will focus on learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Virtual Worlds and how other education technologies can be augmented with Virtual Worlds. At each workshop, STEM educators will share their research and learn from specialists in education and industry. Anticipated outcomes of the workshops include improved educational activities for college students in STEM fields, faculty with a better understanding of how students learn STEM subjects using Virtual Worlds, and stronger collaborations between educators and Virtual World designers in the computer/software industry.

The goals and scope of this project include the development of two workshops that will bring together faculty and industry representatives to share knowledge and create a strong scholarly Virtual World community that can integrate Virtual Worlds into the STEM curriculum. Participants will share their experiences with dissemination, assessment and institutionalization of Virtual Worlds in the classroom. Each four-day workshop will offer in-depth research presentations, hands-on experiences, engaging activities, and lively discussions. The PIs will invite approximately thirty attendees to each workshop. In addition, experts in curriculum design and assessment will help STEM educators understand how to develop activities with achievable, measurable learning objectives. Industry experts, such as programmers and representatives from companies developing virtual reality hardware and software, will share their technical knowledge and learn about the needs of educators who use their services and products.