ABSTRACT
As virtual universities become widely deployed, their students are likely to want to 'attend' virtual tutorials and seminars, take part in collaborative learning, and carry their identity, belongings, moods, and preferences with them. Their educational experience is likely to be enhanced if they can interact with their virtual learning environment and with each other in an intelligent and 'natural' way, and can communicate and collaborate synchronously as well as asynchronously; in other words, in their presence and absence respectively. This chapter investigates the usability of three-dimensional, multi-user Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for such educational purposes. A brief overview of the underlying technology and its relevance for education are provided. Based on the theory of cognitive immersion, the significance of emotionally expressive avatars in facilitating the process of human communication and interaction is discussed. As a result of this discussion, the use of animated agents for achieving a permanent virtual presence of students in VLEs is proposed.
