What is meaningful is the development of learning environments which encourage construction of understanding multiple perspectives. This is in contrast to the school environment where the goal is to transfer knowledge to the learner. Technology also offers students the opportunity to collaborate with others through the global network. Virtual environments encourage student involvement with complex authentic tasks. Most educators would agree that advanced skills of comprehension, reasoning, composition and experimentation are acquired not through the transmission of facts, but through the learner's interaction with content.
Virtual environments are environments created by the computer in which the user feels present.
The simplest form may just include computer graphics, however more sophisticated environments may include objects, audio and interaction with objects and people. The student has the opportunity to manipulate and feel a part of this environment. They can see what happens when they apply problem solving techniques to a problem.