Virtual worlds video games
Would some parents rely on virtual video games as resource for education? Conceptualizing virtual worlds refers to virtual space is an illusion projected onto a computer screen by specialized software. And worlds in this context is an environment that its inhabitants regard as models of life. Marianetta Ombro, an experimental student world, was at Arcada University and Marianetta Ombro had the idea of creating virtual worlds video games in order to students could get a pedagogical approach with simulated classrooms by virtual worlds (Owen 2011). According to Owen (2011), “It offers practical and theoretical insights, including a sample learning plan, for educators wishing to explore virtual worlds as well as those wishing to reimagine their current work” (p. 189). Teaching English by using virtual worlds video games represents a natural way to learn by real contexts and personal characters that student is able to create.
Teaching English with virtual games helps to improve students progress with positive effects. A new way to socialize and make friends by interacting and socializing at the same time with virtual characters created by themselves represents a dynamic form of learning English in a real context created and chosen by the same learner (Steinkuehler, 2007, as stated in González, 2010) Real contexts are designed with the dialogues in English language used in the real life with an appropriate environment according to the situation chosen by the student. To justify the use of those environments, Video games.(n.d.).In Brown, 2008 a virtual games researcher, defends videogames as a space to share between friends and families by playing and interfacing in a relaxed way. Thus, students acquire the knowledge and enjoy learning concepts that are obtained automatically. The way to learn from authentic contexts is by interacting with the virtual games (Oliver & Carr, 2009). When students see themselves in the games on screen provide that learning English effect lasts longer, and at the same time students are able to develop the skills required to enjoy the game. On the other hand, there are few negative aspects to consider when teaching English with virtual games.
Teaching English with virtual worlds video games does not help to improve students progress because it causes negative effects, like addiction, and confusion between reality. Addiction has negative effects that cause some social problems when students keep away from homework, friends, and their own family life because they spend time playing in excess. The lost time not only involves negative effects, but also the confusion with reality. Some studies mention that at the neurological level, some people get confused between the real and virtual worlds, and some players become virtually infidels and escape into a fantasy world instead of facing the real life (Alter, 2007)
Video games have the peculiarity of not causes addiction. Creators developed them with educational purposes (Owen, 2007,as stated in Wankel, & Hinrichs.) and help to develop many skills to socialize. Associated with confusion with reality, students use real context and create their own avatars in order to make the learners more creative, and in this way, students learn from video games as a ludic material it is to say “learning and playing at the same time” represent a real and positive advantage (González, 2010). Avatars designed by the users of the network involve students to identify or designate in natural contexts as religion, school, hospitals, movies, with real behaviours, gestures and attitudes like if they were humans. One of the games to recommend is the game called second life, and it has a great pedagogical value (Owen, 2007, as stated in Wankel, & Hinrichs). “Second life” according to Savin-Baden (2010), “Provides a visual learning environment that is creative space, offers experiential learning opportunities because it has simulations, demonstrations, and experiences not always availables in real life particularly in education” (p. 8). Contains natural scenarios like parks, beaches, cities, hospitals, and so on, everything to practice with different kind of professions and educative levels with appropriate environments.
Finally, teaching English by using virtual games represents a lifelike way to learn by real contexts and personal characters that the student is able to create. Technology is advancing to the extent that it is causing autonomy in human learning. In the past, the only way to learn was with boards, books, and chalk, and video games were gadgets to spend leisure time, and now they are seen as tools with real meaning of the characters with voice, attitudes, movements, relationships, activities, contexts, gestures, reactions, and human needs. In this way students feel the total oneness with their characters and their environments through English language acquisition. Today, there are still people who ignore the existence of virtual games, but children promote them. Adults or legal guardians must be careful with these online interactions and should check if the user is a child or adolescent because there are some plays with real human life as examples which may include sexual acts manipulated by the user in the practice of real worlds video games. In fact, learning English by using fun settings, students and teachers will discover and engage with an unimaginable world of social environments to interact, enjoy, and learn.
