For example, we can look at an object called note, but we can also read that object as well. By manipulating objects in the MOO, we are extending or redefining the database ourselves, a concept which may seem intimidating to newbies, but the implications of this for us as teachers in a collaborative discipline such as writing are enormous. We can create virtual blackboards, writing templates, invention devices, vocabulary lists, recorders, television sets, videos, just about any type of object that we can think of for use in our teaching. Not only can we do this, but we can teach our students to do it as well. They can not only explore the virtual world, but extend it, creating new objects and places.
MUDs are Constructionist environments in which people build personally meaningful artifacts.
But unlike many Constructionist environments, MUDs place special emphasis on collaboration, encouraging construction within a social setting. However, Bruckman points out that for newbies, these activities are often difficult to approach at first, invariably time-consuming, and frequently require us to reflect upon what we are doing, and why. The first step in learning to program is perhaps the hardest. The initial barrier is primarily emotional. Most adults who do not have formal technical education suffer from some degree of technophobia.