Virtual Worlds Overview

Principles

Definition

Virtual worlds is an interdisciplinary academic concept and research domain focused on the study of persistent, interactive, computer-simulated environments accessed and inhabited by multiple users simultaneously, typically via avatars. This field investigates the design, technology, user behavior, social dynamics, economic systems, and cultural phenomena inherent in these digital spaces, providing crucial insights into mediated human interaction, identity formation, and the nature of digital communities.

Ontological type

Pedagogical Applications

Learning Outcomes

Design Principles

Key developments

Key Figures

Presence Foundations era

Bob G. Witmer [1] is a foundational figure in the Presence Foundations era, with affiliations linked to prominent institutions active in this period such as INSEAD [3] and The University of Texas at Austin [4]. His key contribution in this era is the development of a standardized presence questionnaire through the 1998 paper Measuring Presence in Virtual Environments: A Presence Questionnaire [5], which enabled researchers to quantify presence and compare VR experiences, driving methodological rigor. Dorothy E. Leidner [2], with affiliations at INSEAD [3] and The University of Texas at Austin [4], contributed to understanding communication and trust in global virtual teams through the 1999 paper Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams [6]. Leidner's findings [2] from this work helped shape how presence, communication, and trust influence distributed collaboration, a perspective that guided later research and evaluation practices in global virtual teams [6].

Embodied Virtual Worlds era

Nick Yee [1], Stanford University [3], was a leading researcher in Embodied Virtual Worlds during 2006–2015. His papers in this era include The Demographics, Motivations, and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively Multi-User Online Graphical Environments [6], The Unbearable Likeness of Being Digital: The Persistence of Nonverbal Social Norms in Online Virtual Environments [7], and The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality in the Learning Sciences: Digital Transformations of Teachers, Students, and Social Context [8]. Mel Slater [2], University College London [4], and University of Southern California [5], contributed to the Embodied Virtual Worlds discourse. His 2009 paper Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual environments [9] argued that place illusion and plausibility drive realistic behaviour, providing a foundational mechanism for embodied presence and social dynamics in virtual worlds during this era.

XR Metaverse Education era

Guido Makransky [1] is associated with the University of Copenhagen [3] and the University of Southern Denmark [4] in the XR Metaverse Education era. His key contribution in this era centers on the study Adding immersive virtual reality to a science lab simulation causes more presence but less learning [7], which demonstrates how presence can function as a design lever while also highlighting potential learning trade-offs that designers must address. Richard E. Mayer [2] is associated with the University of California, Santa Barbara [5] and the University of California System [6] in this era. His key contributions include co-authoring the same paper Adding immersive virtual reality to a science lab simulation causes more presence but less learning [7], which emphasizes the need for evidence-based approaches in XR education to balance engagement with learning outcomes.