Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments that can be used by people to communicate with one another as well as the environment of this modeled world. One of the most common uses for virtual worlds is in gaming, many developers utilize virtual worlds in order to immerse gamers in a completely different environment. Another use according to, "The virtual world moves into the classroom" by Joe Earle, is for educational purposes for students. Some schools started using virtual reality in order for students to conduct virtual field trips to areas like the French king's home and its gardens. In the article, "Going to the virtual office in Second Life" by Mark Tutton, the virtual community "Second Life" is attempting to appeal to companies trying to cut down on travel costs by providing a platform where employees can have virtual meetings from their own computer networks.

Although both of these examples show the benefits of virtual worlds, such as being able to save costs and go on educational tours of areas that may not have been possible before, there are some notable cons to this new technology. For example, interactions in virtual teams can be different and what works in face-to-face conversations may not necessarily work in a virtual one. It may also seem silly for traditional firms to use for meetings since they can just set up a video call instead of hosting it in a virtual world. In the future, I expect virtual reality to be utilized in many useful applications such as training employees and medical students, but the possibilities are endless.