Avatars and learning

Hi all,

We are planning to use an Avatar in our upcoming University presentation. The Avatar is a news reporter which will engage the audience from the beginning of the presentation. By doing this it gives us a chance to be in our required roles therefore reducing character changes.

Avatars are being introduced into classrooms to assist in elearning. They are able to help with teaching in overloaded classrooms and increases the learning of the students. (What are avatars and why should they be use for elearning for kids? 2009) As students today are driven by technology it is important for teachers to be up to date with methods of teaching in a technological way to cater for the students needs and methods of learning. Avatars are a great tool for engaging students in lessons as it can introduce a new person into the classroom.

Avatars should be used throughout classrooms not only by the teacher but also by the student. When students are creating their own Avatars they will understand how important it is to use correct spelling and grammar as the Avatar will say what has been written.

I feel Avatars a great engaging tool and should be used in all classrooms. Engagement theory is based upon the idea of creating successful collaborative teams that work on ambitious projects that are meaningful to someone outside the classroom. Greg Kearsley & Ben Shneiderman, 1999.


References:
What Are Avatars and Why Should They Be Used for eLearning for Kids?, 2009. Ezine Articles, viewed on 1 August 2009, http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-Avatars-and-Why-Should-They-Be-Used-for-eLearning-for-Kids?&id=520838