ELI Podcast: Virtual Worlds as Naturally Occurring Online Learning Environments

This hour-long podcast features a keynote address by Constance Steinkuehler, Assistant Professor, Educational Communication & Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her speech, "Virtual Worlds as Naturally Occurring Online Learning Environments," was recorded at the ELI 2009 Annual Conference. You can also view streaming video of this session.

For many years, video games have been dismissed by much of academia. But they have emerged as an important research topic. Recent studies suggest that engagement with video games, particularly virtual worlds, promotes valued forms of thinking and learning. This session reviews the findings of a five-year investigation into the forms of cognition and learning that arise in virtual worlds. It also discusses how virtual worlds function as naturally occurring versions of successful online learning communities.