So you’ve read our previous blog entries on virtual worlds, and you’re excited about their potential to engage learners and promote mastery. How do you make sure your first virtual world project is a success? Here’s some advice for my fellow learning professionals:

1. Choose the right project. Start where virtual worlds offer the highest value – for example, a simulation of a complex process that can’t otherwise be taught “hands-on,” or a global team-building exercise that would otherwise require cost-prohibitive travel.
2. Choose the right audience. Virtual worlds work best when users are receptive to them. This does not mean they must be highly tech-savvy. If, for example, they play online video games, they may already be comfortable in virtual environments. (If they have no relevant experience, a simple 30-60 minute tutorial is often sufficient to orient them.)
3. Remember: some learning challenges are best addressed through blended solutions that integrate virtual worlds with other approaches. As always, it’s about using the right technology for each task. You can use virtual worlds for tasks and skills that are best taught in these environments, while continuing to rely on other tools where those are equally (or more) effective.
4. Focus learning design around clear goals and objectives. Virtual worlds are a technical platform: what makes them instructionally effective is your learning design – and how tightly it is based on your learning goals and objectives.
5. Wherever possible, leverage existing resources. If you build within a well-established virtual world platform, you can leverage extensive affordances that are built in or can be added inexpensively. Many companies have achieved success using Second Life and Proton Media’s ProtoSphere platform. However, the market is evolving: explore and identify the platform that best suits your needs, rather than simply choosing a market leader.
6. Know what you’ll need to build from scratch. Even well-established virtual worlds don’t have everything you’ll need. For example, integration with your LMS may not be built-in. If you need this, you can achieve it through custom integration – but you will need plan, schedule, and budget for this additional requirement.
7. Make sure your partner has the skills you need. Carefully check references, and ask vendors to invite you into a virtual world they’ve built, so you can immerse yourself in the experience, and assess its effectiveness.
8. Strong project management discipline is essential. Nailing down project scope is crucial. Then, as you proceed, carefully review new artifacts as they’re created – both for consistency with your company’s look-and-feel, and for effectiveness. As with any creative project, it costs much less to make changes early.

Be sure to check out Rupalli Thacker’s previous posts in the series, “Avatar?” Learning in a 3D Virtual World and Virtual Worlds in Corporate Learning: Strong Foundations in Learning Theory.

Author: Rupalli Thacker is a Digital Products and Solutions Manager for Pearson Learning Solutions, working closely with corporate and association clients. Rupalli specializes in learning design, and new learning technologies. In her role as a products and solutions manager, Rupalli manages end-to-end learning solutions; and product design, and delivery. Her previous experience includes ten years in leadership skills development and four years in the elearning industry as a program manager.

Rupalli holds a MA in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University and an MBA from NMIMS, India.