Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are an interactive, avatar based space in which multiple users can engage in reality simulated activities and they are typically geared towards entertainment and educational purposes. While it seems as though this form of technology is used most by millennials for their gaming needs, the article "Avatar II: The Hospital," discusses how virtual technology could improve medical training in the healthcare industry. There are facilities that utilize chaotic virtual stimulations to help better prepare professionals for real life emergencies, helping to improve the nurses' sense of judgment and molded their abilities to effectively work under pressure.

While virtual technology could potentially help more industries grow, utilizing this outlet may become costly and time consuming to build. While virtual worlds are used mostly for entertainment experiences and the demand isn't very high, I believe that industries who are willing to invest more into the development of virtual reality could really unlock their growth potential.

"Avatar II: The Hospital" by Stephanie Simon, The Wall Street Journal
"Situated Learning in Virtual Worlds and Immersive Simulations" by Lisa Dawley