Beyond the Avatar: Developing Digital Resilience for Collaborative Learning in Virtual Worlds

• In Event: Student Learning, AI, and Digital Tools

Abstract

While Virtual Worlds (VW) offer promising platforms for online collaboration, their effective implementation in education presents significant challenges. This qualitative study investigated factors influencing online collaborative learning for 25 graduate education students within a 3D virtual world. Data from interviews and reflective journals revealed significant hindrances, including technological difficulties, navigation challenges, and deficits in collaborative skills. Conversely, collaboration was fostered by experiential learning, play, self-empowerment, and the perceived potential of the platform. A primary contribution of this research is the development of a Digital Resilience Model, comprising both technological and socio-emotional components. The findings underscore that cultivating this resilience is critical for learners to succeed in complex, immersive environments, offering key implications for educators and instructional design.

Authors

• Miri Shonfeld, Kibbutzin College

• Merav Hayak, Columbia University; Achva Academic College;Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

• Orit Avidov-Ungar, Achva Academic College