In the same way conventional classes take field trips to places of historic or scientific significance, educators can now recreate events virtually in a way that goes beyond the traditional case study approach to education. Teachers have the chance to create a more experience oriented education program. Already in Worlds Inc.'s recently unveiled virtual Yellowstone, work is being done so that people can follow the progress of real wolves in the wild from within the virtual representation of their habitat. These are merely a couple of illustrations, and undoubtedly they are limited by thinking trapped in today's reality rather than tomorrow's possibilities. Like many technological advances, much work needs to be done to help change this and dangers of expectations being too high remain.
People read a lot into it.
The Internet is about a lot more than a collection of Web sites. It is a vast interlocking network of information where much of the most interesting content lies not in Web sites but in the minds of the millions of people who are connecting to the Net each day. Using the Land Grant University program, people will be able get a better hold on this collection of information, resources, and people by knitting them together in shared virtual environments. By providing tools rather than pre-packaged applications, the LGU program empowers the people who will unquestionably develop the most outstanding applications with this technology by turning it over to the educators themselves. Groups interested in applying should see the Worlds Inc.'s LGU site for more information and fill out the application form.