‘Simulation Games through Virtual Worlds in Education’, 3-4 p.m., 29 May 2021, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalay, Indore (SVVV)

Dr Ramesh Sharma teaches Instructional Design at Ambedkar University Delhi, India, and is an expert in simulation games and open and distance and technology-mediated learning. His team has earned a patent on a Simulation RPG “Museu Virtual Teatro São João” from the Federal Republic of Brazil. He has served as Director of the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, New Delhi, Regional Director of Indira Gandhi National Open University, India and Director of Distance Education at the University of Guyana, Guyana, South America. He has taught Educational Technology and Learning Resources in Malaysia and has served as a visiting Professor in Bahia, Brazil and Fiji.

The virtual world differs from the internet-based 2D digital world. It is a massively multiplayer online simulation with interactive 3D computer-based environments. Users adopt avatars who usually are textual, 2D or 3D representations, sometimes live video and with auditory and touch sensations. He introduced us to a stunning new vocabulary of avatar, blockchain, dark web, deep web, deepfakes, immersive experiences and teleporting. Simulation games using virtual worlds have high pedagogical significance in education.

Dr Sharma’s examples from marine earth science, accident investigation, and court-based scenarios for law students demonstrated the power and potential of learning in the virtual worlds. Without leaving the home or office, one could visit the museum, distant geographies, participate in conferences and get virtual exposure to dangerous substances like isotopes from a safe distance. Thus, students in virtual worlds acquired knowledge and learnt safely from communications and remote interactions. However, learning is not possible unless both learners and teachers get appropriate training and scaffolding support.

Dr Sharma’s cited research that identified problem solving and conceptualisation by discussion were more prominent as pedagogies in virtual worlds than transmitting any information. Students’ experiential learning was due to the constructionist paradigm based on the situated learning theory. Their engagement and reduction of their cognitive load enhanced their engagement. They learnt faster and more, and developed confidence and observational skills, and the ability to respond to new situations. Virtual worlds succeed because students identified with the characters and their situations to become active participants in the events on screen.

The Q&A was engaging and enlightening. Leading with deep questions were Elyssebeth, Dr Deepika Kohli, Elena and Dr Honey Gupta. Most questions revolved around the difficulty of learning a new skill in using virtual worlds like Secondlife and MMORPG. Some were concerned about the costs while others were keen to know of such games in India.

ISAGA members present were Elyssebeth, Elena, Toshiko, Claudia, Eric and Tuomas. From SVVV, the faculty present were Dr GHS Naidu, Dr Santosh Dhar, Dr Rajeev Shukla, Dr Anand Rajawat, Dr KN Guruprasad, Dr Utam Sharma, Dr Anand Babu, Mrs Namrata Jain and Dr Tushar Mandal.

Dr Upinder Dhar, Vice Chancellor of SVVV is the Conference Chair of ISAGA2021 which will be hosted and organised at SVVV, Indore, India from 6-10 September 2021. ISAGA2021 is now an online event, and you may contribute your research papers, workshops and posters in online mode from your locations. We hope that the low fee and online convenience will attract more contributions at ISAGA2021. Do not forget that the papers will be published by Springer.

SVVV faculty, S&G professionals and researchers, and teachers from diverse disciplines have made the ISAGA2021 webinar series a global success. Thanks are also due to Dr Jigyasu Dubey, ISAGA Conference Coordinator and his technology team at SVVV, whose quiet efforts have been responsible this unique series.

S&G is fun and S&G offers novel ways to learn quickly. Do join us in our future webinars. The discussions offer you an excellent platform to understand complex issues and solve difficult problems via S&G.