One such popular defense tool is a virtual world game called Boarders Ahoy!.

The United States Secret Service is also leveraging the training power of virtual worlds to prepare for national threats.

First-response teams, such as the police and fire departments, are using simulation games to practice dangerous tasks that would otherwise require risky re-enactments.

Virtual world helps in murder case.

Virtual world Meez goes mobile with Android, iPhone and iPad apps.

Virtual world Habbo hits more than 200M registered users

Virtual reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds.

There has been an increase in interest in the potential social impact of new technologies, such as virtual reality.

Managing these virtual classrooms can be quite difficult

Baab advises teachers of virtual classes to be very consistent. “Set up a structure and stick with it,” she says. “Maybe it’s creative and colorful to change things every day, but then a student has to learn their ‘classroom’ all over again.”

"Disney's Toontown Online, the first massively multiplayer online game designed specifically for kids and families, is an award-winning, kid-safe, endlessly evolving, and immersive 3-D online world."

"Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents."

In a virtual world, you can be anyone you want. You get to mingle, decorate your space, and in some games you can have a job. In order to maintain servers, a monthly subscription fee is required for most worlds.

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An avatar is a user’s online personality or a 3D figure created to represent the user while he is in virtual space. The ability to have avatars interact is the main impetus behind virtual worlds online.

Millions of users log onto virtual worlds every day. These users find alternative realities in a virtual world and use these online worlds for gaming and communicating with others.

Human beings live more and more in the virtual world, through digital accounts, for playing games, e-mailing, building community, social networking, and even for commerce. As commerce grows, and the billions of potential 3rd world users start entering this commercial marketplace, an entirely new economy will develop in the Virtual World. This new era, is called the Information Age.

Virtual worlds are engaging, stimulating spaces where students can meet online for normal class activities, including lectures, discussions, case studies, projects, papers, exams, and labs.

A virtual world class differs from a traditional course management system, such as Blackboard or Moodle, due to the three-dimensional (3D) graphical setting, the use of avatars to represent the class participants, and the sense of presence that puts the learner within the scene.

Virtual world classrooms are no less real than other online class environments, and if used for synchronous class sessions, they may simulate a campus-based class meeting.

Don't give your real name on gaming sitesBest not to have anyone on your IM (instant messaging) list that you don't know in the real worldYou can block people in IM and chat areasBest not to meet people you meet online, they might not be who they say they areTell an adult you trust if an online friend asks to meet youReport a contact to CEOP if you think they might be an adult

A virtual world is a genre of online community that often takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment, through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects[1].