The Emerging Landscape of Virtual Environments

This paper aims to give an overview of key research on the emerging landscape of virtual environments by identifying selected contributions to the field. Focusing on learning potential and issues, this study describes and discusses how virtual environments change educational practices. Papers selected from the journal Læring og Medier, in conjunction with the publication’s 10th anniversary, form the basis of an overview of how Second Life has contributed to knowledge in a Danish educational context. Second Life’s potential for immersion, presence and embodiment are illustrated by the results of one case from Aalborg University. Finally, this paper predicts how virtual environments might change learning practices in the future.