A taxonomy of virtual worlds usage in education

Abstract Virtual worlds are an important tool in modern education practices as well as providing socialisation, entertainment and a laboratory for collaborative work. This paper focuses on the uses of virtual worlds for education and synthesises over 100 published academic papers, reports and educational websites from around the world. A taxonomy is then derived from these papers, delineating current theoretical and practical work on virtual world usage, specifically in the field of education. The taxonomy identifies rich veins of current research and practice in associated educational theory and in simulated worlds or environments, yet it also demonstrates the paucity of work in important areas such as evaluation, grading and accessibility. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic The use of virtual worlds for supporting education is widespread and increasing. There are numerous studies on virtual worlds usage in education. Virtual worlds are mainly used for collaborative‐ or simulation‐based education. What this paper adds An analysis and synthesis of over 100 academic papers and virtual worlds, multi‐user virtual environments and virtual learning environments. A taxonomic differentiation based upon population, educational activity and learning theory. A balance sheet of the disadvantages and advantages of using virtual worlds in education. Identification of under developed areas of research into virtual worlds in education. Implications for practice and/or policy Motivates the use of virtual worlds to support experiential learning, where real world experiential learning is difficult to achieve due to barriers of time, cost and place. Identification of difficulties and challenges in the educational use of virtual worlds. These may be overcome through future work or help identify where the use of virtual worlds is not appropriate. Identification of where the current development or research focus is: pedagogy, collaboration, enquiry‐based learning and identity, etc.