Shared Knowledge

Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds

Prague (CZ), February 2011 - Held at the held at the Mamaison Riverside Hotel in Prague from 20 - 22 March 2011, the aim of this conference is to examine learning - both formal and informal - in virtual worlds in an attempt to explore both its essential characteristics and its future possibilities.




Teachers at all levels, university faculty, virtual-world players, researchers, and others interested in what happens in virtual worlds and what it means for us as humans are invited to participate.

The advent of Information and Communication Technologies has changed how we work, teach, learn, and relate to each other. The idea of a virtual world encompasses online communities, communities of inquiry, formal teaching and learning, as well as horror and fantasy games.

The experiences gained in such virtual worlds, whether high or low tech, impact who we are in the analogue world (and vice versa): Who am I? How do we relate to each other? What is my role? How can we be productive as a team? What is mortality? How do we resolve conflict?

These questions are addressed, to some degree, through the experiences we have in virtual worlds. What are we learning through those experiences? How can we perform better in both worlds?

The ethos of the -˜Experiential Learning in Virtual Worlds' project places strong emphasis on dialogue with the issues raised by the Conference as a whole and engagement with the attendees. These two elements are essential to the inter- and multi-disciplinary nature of the event. Over the past few years, the success of our projects has rested on the continual interaction between delegates for the duration of the Conference and beyond.

The Steering Group feels it is essential that delegates are present for the duration of the Conference so as to facilitate the exchange of perspectives for which the conference strives, and which any publication should clearly demonstrate. Failure to attend for the duration of the meeting will automatically exclude eligibility for inclusion in any of the project publications.