Gaming and Online Virtual Worlds
- SRI Podcast: John Murray explains how researchers are studying virtual world environments
John Murray, Cybernetics and Human Systems Director, Computer Science Laboratory
The global usage of online gaming systems has expanded rapidly in recent years. John Murray explains how researchers are studying virtual world (VW) environments not just to help enhance the entertainment value of games, but to increase their effectiveness as tools for teaching and learning, professional training, and collaborative work.
SRI researchers are involved in a variety of projects involving online virtual worlds. For example, researchers from SRI’s Center for Technology in Learning have developed a game where players must cooperate and share information in order to solve a puzzle or technical problem. This research program is helping to identify productive roles for virtual world technology in teaching and learning, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics.
On another project, SRI is collaborating with several universities worldwide to recruit volunteers and study their gaming activity. This type of coordinated investigation can help improve the understanding of the relationship between real-world users and their virtual world activities, especially across cultures. (read SRI's press release)
Another important program is the development of specialized simulation systems using VW technologies to support field training exercises for first responders and emergency personnel.
