Thursday, November 6, 2014

IMMERSIVE LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS


Immersive education has many benefits, and can be just as effective as an in person course, as long as it
 has the same resources. The Libraries and Museums TWG addresses the need for virtual libraries 
and museums to exist for the benefit of Immersive Education. Librarians have known and addressed
 this need with the implementation of digital media, but it is a very complicated process and the 
media itself is limiting in its presentation. 
The idea of a virtual library and museum would add immense value to the Immersive Education 
program. It would allow students to enter the 3D world and view exhibits, or peruse library articles
 and give them the same experience that they would have in “real” life. To be successful, the 
LWG.TMG team must research the issue of creating virtual museums and libraries, publish what 
they already know about it, and grow the network of LAM researchers. If they can do that they should
 be able to make this work. 
An example of how this initiative would be used is Immersive study spaces.  An immersive study 
space would be useful to prepare for virtual field trips, like in a foreign language course. If students 
were preparing for a trip in a Japanese language class, it would be very useful to have a virtual study
 space where they can apply their knowledge to a certain situation, like being in a Japanese restaurant.
 This would be a great supplement to their learning experience. 
Another use of virtual libraries and museums that the article cites is to provide a bilingual education 
and give students real life learning experiences. This aims to prepare them for their careers. This type 
of learning is great because you can take students to the virtual worksites, like the Watershed learning 
experience. Students can learn to function on the job by resolving conflicts, setting goals, and
responsibility on the job. These skills can only be learned first hand, and the physical classroom
 does not offer them to the same extent as the virtual one.  
My Source for this post is the "Immersive Education Libraries and Museums Technology Working Group (LAM.TWG)",
and the link to the Journal of Immersive Education site is: JiED.org

No comments:

Post a Comment