Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Overcoming Objections
to MUVEs in Education
Daniel Laughlin
University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA
ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses some of the objections to the use of multi user virtual environments (MUVEs)
in education that proponents of that medium are likely to encounter. Selection of the objections on the
MUVEs literature and the author's experience championing MUVEs as education tools within a govern-
ment agency. Many of the objections apply broadly to MUVEs of both game and non-game varieties.
The goal of this chapter is to help the reader overcome the arguments raised by others to build support
for the use of MUVEs. Some guidance is also given for an approach to overcome objections based on
mental model theory.
INTRODUCTION
as non-credible, rejecting research that contradicts
existing beliefs and inaccurately interpreting evi-
dence as supportive. Inevitably, when significant
changes are proposed for education, they provoke
these kinds of resistant responses from those
with strong pre-existing beliefs about education.
A multi user virtual environment (MUVE) by
its very nature is an innovative and significant
change, and thus likely to encounter resistance
when being proposed for educational use.
The contents of this chapter are based on
the author's experience working with a federal
agency's office of education for the better part
of a decade. That NASA is currently working
It is human nature to be resistant to significant
change. The brain has powerful tools that come into
play to protect existing beliefs and practices both
consciously and subconsciously. In their work on
the persistence of beliefs, Lord, Ross and Lepper
(1979) cataloged a number of common techniques
that people use to protect exist beliefs against
evidence that contradicts them. They label this
process assimilation bias. Among the tools that en-
able assimilation bias are discounting information
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61692-822-3.ch001
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