Susan has a busy Monday scheduled. Working in learning and development for a large global corporation, Susan starts her day in Germany, leading a learning debrief with a new hire class. By 10 am, she’s back at the home office in Boston, interacting with her fellow learning and development peers, finalizing a proposal for a new training initiative. By noon, she’s in Chicago with these same peers presenting the proposal to the executive committee. At 3 pm, Susan needs to be in Portland to support a sales presentation with a client on how her company provides training support for their products.
Susan isn’t racking up Frequent Flier miles and breaking the sound barrier speeding from location to location. Nor is she simply dialing into conference calls. Susan has the ability to be “virtually” present in all of these locations on the same day through virtual world technology.
Many people have heard of virtual worlds, or have been in-world themselves. In a recent article, Michael Risch estimates that approximately 20 million people worldwide have explored a virtual world. Although virtual world use is becoming more and more pervasive, exploration of the uses of virtual worlds for learning is just beginning.
This article will define the characteristics of virtual worlds, and provide current examples of virtual worlds that are appropriate for corporate use. I’ll also discuss the types of learning experiences and subject matter that might best be delivered via virtual world technology, and describe issues that organizations should prepare for in implementing virtual world technology.
Virtual worlds defined
What is the definition of a virtual world? It is perhaps most useful to define virtual worlds by their common features.
Immersive environment: Virtual worlds have a physical space, or location, that represents the world. This can be one location, or a series of locations. Although many virtual worlds are 3-D, 3-D isn’t essential to the definition of a virtual world. However, a sense of place is an essential element, regardless of the technology used to create it.
Avatars: The physical representation of you in a virtual environment is an “avatar.” An avatar is some representation of you over which you have control, and through which you are able to interact (for example, to communicate, to move, to react) in a digital environment, such as a virtual world. And while the avatar represents you in the virtual world, it does not have to have any similarity to how you look, act, talk, or generally appear to others in the real world. An individual has the opportunity to create an avatar to look and behave however that person chooses.
Interaction and communication with other users: One of the defining features of virtual worlds is that they are multi-player, allowing multiple users to log in to the same physical space at the same time and interact with each other. Communication may include text messaging, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), or, in some cases, video. One of the more interesting aspects of virtual worlds is that they allow for non-verbal communication as well, through avatars. Gestures, movements, and expressions are all opportunities for communication with others in-world.
Interaction with the world: A critical differentiator of virtual worlds is the ability for people to interact in some way with the world itself. Navigation and movement in the world is one component, but your ability to affect the world is another. Virtual worlds allow people to do things within the world and interact with different aspects in the world. In some instances, a virtual world is so open that it allows for user-generated content.
Context: This is perhaps the trickiest aspect of virtual worlds to define. Simply put, there needs to be a reason for people to show up. Unlike a massive multiplayer online game (MMOG), virtual worlds don’t have to have a storyline or goals associated with participating in the world. Much of what happens in a virtual world mirrors what happens in real life: people respond to the events that surround them, and those interactions build the context, or community. But there needs to be a reason for people to come into the virtual world in the first place. Whether it’s for social or for business reasons, virtual worlds must have a purpose.
Persistence: In order to consider something to be a “world,” it is necessary that it exist outside of the influence of any individual person. In other words, a virtual world continues to exist, perhaps even to change, whether you are in the world or not. In this sense, a virtual world is like any physical location; it doesn’t go away just because you’re not there. You can leave the virtual world, but its presence is persistent for others who may visit and it will be there whenever you choose to return.
In summary, virtual worlds are persistent digital environments where people, represented by avatars, go to interact with others and the world itself for some common purpose.
Virtual worlds for work
While there are literally dozens of virtual worlds, only some are appropriate (or ready) for corporate deployment. One of the first considerations is whether your company is able to use a public virtual world platform, or if it requires a private platform that it hosts behind your firewall. The answer to this question will determine which worlds are worth exploring further.
Currently available worlds for corporate applications include (see Figures 1 – 8):
- Active Worlds (http://www.activeworlds.com)
- Multiverse (http://www.multiverse.net/index.html)
- OLIVE, from Forterra (http://www.forterrainc.com)
- OpenSim (Alpha stage) (http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page)
- Protosphere, from Proton Media (http://www.protonmedia.com)
- Qwaq (http://www.qwak.com)
- Second Life, from Linden Labs (http://secondlife.com)
- VastPark (www.vastpark.com)
 Figure 1 Active Worlds
|
Figure 2 Multiverse
|
|
Figure 3 OLIVE
|
Figure 4 OpenSim (Alpha stage)
|
|
Figure 5 Protosphere
|
Figure 6 Qwaq
|
|
Figure 7 Second Life
|
Figure 8 Vast Park
|
Designing learning in virtual worlds
For an enterprise, there is a multitude of decisions to be made about how to incorporate virtual world technology into its business processes. Erica and Sam Driver, in their November, 2008 Immersive Internet Report, recommend that companies begin by applying virtual world technology to a high-impact area of the business. (Please see the References at the end of this article.) Training tops their list of places to start for effective implementations of the technology.
High potential applications
Every technology and every medium has best practices and best uses for learning. Virtual worlds are no different. Virtual worlds lend themselves to much more engaging and immersive learning experiences than other types of learning solutions, in part because of the representation of space and self. What are some of the highest potential learning designs in virtual worlds?
Immersive learning environments
Virtual worlds provide an opportunity to develop more realistic and immersive learning environments than have ever been possible. Developing “mirror worlds” that provide opportunities for authentic practice in realistic environments with low or no risk is perhaps the greatest opportunity for learning that virtual worlds provide.
Real-time collaboration
Avatars, and integration of other applications into virtual worlds, allow geographically diverse teams to meet and collaborate on such things as documents, projects, process improvement, and product design and development.
Presentations, conferences, and events
Want to bring large groups together for shared experiences, like a conference or a presentation by a respected speaker, but you don’t have the budget for the associated travel costs? Virtual worlds can provide a common space for groups to gather for any number of real-time, interactive events.
Discussions/debriefs
Some of the best learning happens when people can talk through shared experiences or difficult situations and have opportunities to creatively brainstorm. Virtual worlds allow dispersed individuals and team members to interact and speak with each other with a dynamic that closely resembles live interactions.
Coaching
Virtual worlds provide opportunities not only for peer-to-peer interactions, but also for personalized coaching on performance. Managers, trainers, and other experts have the opportunity to interact with employees in virtual environments and provide feedback on performance.
Training topics for virtual worlds
So what are some realistic examples of types of training that you could effectively deliver via virtual world technology?
Knowledge work
How can you effectively transfer knowledge and expertise in an organization? Many companies struggle with how to “ramp up” knowledge workers more quickly. Virtual worlds can provide shared contextual environments that allow for discussion, brainstorming, and knowledge sharing amongst all levels of employees. Providing an environment where these types of interactions can take place, where workers separated by geography can learn from each other, can improve rates of innovation, increase the number of new ideas, and strengthen a company’s culture.
Sales and customer service
One of the challenges of training sales people and customer service providers is that they develop most of these skills through practice and trial and error. While role-play can help, it often lacks the context and complexity to provide realistic opportunities to develop these skills. Virtual worlds allow for immersive learning environments that can provide context-rich, realistic practice with immediate feedback. This allows sales and customer service representatives to practice during training, not with real customers.
Process improvement
How can you change a process in your organization? One option is to allow people to experiment with the new process in a virtual world. Not only can you help streamline the process through practice, but by showing the positive outcomes from changing the process, employees may be more motivated to make the change, and the new process has the potential to be successfully adopted more quickly.
Product design and equipment use
Product design can be time-intensive and expensive. However, with the ability to develop 3-D models, employees can dynamically work on prototypes of new products, avoiding the time and expense of building them. Once you develop a new product or purchase a piece of equipment, employees can be trained on its use in a virtual environment before they ever touch the product in person. This can not only improve the use of new products, but is more cost effective than allowing products to be used for training purposes.
Implementing virtual worlds
With all of these benefits for learning, it seems virtual worlds would be a natural solution to many common, current training problems. As with any new technology, adoption and implementation must address certain organizational obstacles. Here are the benefits and the issues that shape successful implementation of virtual worlds:
Cost
Travel: The most obvious advantage of virtual worlds for training is the ability to reduce travel time and costs. How important is this, and how large are the cost savings? According to a case study from Linden Research, IBM has seen a savings in travel and associated costs of approximately $320,000 for one event, and has now announced that they will hold future internal events virtually. Each organization will need to begin assessing the costs they incur for training-related travel each year, and determine the potential cost savings.
Hardware: Depending on your organization’s current technology specs, graphics cards, streaming media, and voice capabilities might all be hardware costs associated with a successful virtual world implementation.
Software: Some virtual worlds are free, some are licensed. Some require a large initial investment, but then the buyer “owns” the world. The cost of virtual worlds varies dramatically, and there are as many business models as there are virtual worlds. The features desired, and the needs of the company, will often dictate the type of virtual world, which in turn dictates the investment required. However, in many cases, more expensive does not necessarily mean better; companies must truly outline how they intend to use the technology before investigating options and then the associated costs.
Support: Some virtual worlds offer enterprise support and some do not. Companies must factor support costs, whether internal or external, into the overall cost of a virtual world implementation.
Training time: In order for a virtual world implementation to be successful, employees must learn how to use the technology. Depending on the size of the organization, the cultural characteristics of the workforce, and the current methodologies used for training, training time could be minimal or extensive, and you should consider it as a cost of implementation.
Technology
Hosting/support/security: These are three major technology decisions, but they are all inter-related and have everything to do with whether your internal IT team will “own” the virtual world, or whether you are outsourcing to the virtual world platform company. Many corporations require that a secure virtual world be behind the corporate firewall, which would require internal hosting and support. Deciding on the IT issues surrounding hosting, support, and security may be one of the largest virtual world implementation issues to address.
Hardware/software: Most virtual worlds require a download onto user machines, although some browser-based worlds are emerging. The requirement to download applications onto employees’ machines is a major concern, especially for large companies.
Interoperability: There are two issues to be addressed with interoperability. First, how well does the virtual world integrate with existing corporate technology and processes? Can you exchange data seamlessly? Can navigation appear seamless for employees? The second consideration is interoperability of your selected virtual world technology with other virtual worlds. Because virtual world technology is new there will continue to be advancements, which enterprises that adopt virtual worlds may want to consider. Interoperability among virtual worlds would allow a company to move from one virtual world platform to another, but keep key data and assets (such as avatars). Although currently there is limited interoperability among most virtual worlds, this is an issue of great importance to the adoption of virtual worlds for enterprise.
Upgrades: As with interoperability, virtual world technology is relatively new, and advancements are happening quickly. Regardless of which virtual world platform you choose, you should be aware of, and make plans for, the opportunities to upgrade your existing platform. Again, upgrades will depend on the platform you select, but the process for, and frequency of, upgrades is an important aspect of virtual world implementation.
Cultural/process changes
Orientation: Perhaps the single most important step in the adoption of virtual worlds at the enterprise level is the introduction and orientation of employees to the world. Organizations should account for differences in employee’s comfort with technology, gender, age, and disabilities in the virtual world technology they select, and their plan for orientation.
Change management: In order for the varied people within an organization to embrace the virtual world implementation, it’s important to marry the roll-out with change management strategies that will help ensure pervasive adoption.
Legal issues: Just as with any other social medium or technology used for communication, virtual worlds and the communication and interaction that takes place within them needs to comply with corporate standards. Policies that apply to written or verbal communication and behavior in the real world need to apply to the virtual world as well.
Creating a learning community: Getting people comfortable with virtual world technology will likely not happen without some help and planning. How do communities form? Typically, this takes place through shared experiences or common interests. Working for the same company is only one tie to bind employees together. Scheduling virtual world events, and developing groups within the virtual world based on shared interests, are just two of the ways that a company can begin to use virtual world technology to create a learning community.
In conclusion
Virtual worlds hold much promise for companies to reduce costs, improve learning outcomes, and build learning communities. Although virtual world technology is improving on almost a daily basis, companies that do not start the process of implementing the technology now risk falling behind the curve in training opportunities, internal communication, customer-facing interactions, and talent recruitment. For learning professionals, virtual worlds finally offer an opportunity through technology to truly allow people to learn by doing.
References
Driver, Erica and Driver, Sam. ThinkBalm Immersive Internet Report, (November 17, 2008) Available at: http://thinkbalm.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/thinkbalm-immersive-internet-report-nov-20084.pdf
Linden Research, Inc.. How Meeting In Second Life Transformed IBM’s Technology Elite Into Virtual World Believers. (2009). Available at : http://secondlifegrid.net.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/Second_Life_Case_IBM.pdf
Risch, Michael. “Virtual Third Parties.” Santa Clara Computer and High Technology Law Journal, Vol. 25, p. 415, 2009. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1275063
