Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge, 2nd Edition

456 | CHAPTER 25 Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds for Educators

A 3D virtual world often mimics a real-world environment, although it also

may include impossible abilities, such as flying unaided (Mastrian, et al., 2011).

Users of virtual worlds are often quick to stress that virtual worlds in and of

themselves are not games, although this confusion is easy to understand because

virtual worlds share many of the same interface characteristics as 3D action and

role-playing games.

The best use of virtual worlds for educational purposes may be when there is

a need for an immersive experience coupled with a need for social interaction. For

example, ...