A BBC-sponsored study by the University of Westminster has thrown up some encouraging evidence that virtual worlds can be a positive experience for children, helping them to develop social skills and experiment with their identity. The research was based on feedback from early users of the BBC's Adventure Rock virtual world, and was carried out by Professor David Gauntlett and Lizzie Jackson.
One fascinating suggestion of the research is defining the eight roles children adopt while using these kinds of virtual worlds. There’s eight in total, although it seems children flit between them, rather than adopt one permanently. They are:
- Explorer-investigators
- Self-stampers
- Social climbers
- Fighters
- Collector consumers
- Power users
- Nurturers
- Life system builders
The research also highlights the way these worlds provide kids with a space to experiment and communicate that they might not have in the real world. Professor Gauntlett also says children like the ability to create their own content within these worlds, including music, cartoons and videos.
Teachers involved in the research stressed that their pupils were full of ideas for improvements and new features for Adventure Rock. User research should be an important aspect of any virtual world, of course, but even more so for younger age groups.
(via BBC News)
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