MOO stands for Multi-User Dimension Object Oriented virtual environment. MOOs foster skills in communication, literacy and problem solving through talking, writing,programming and other task-oriented projects. The objects and code students create, add to the MOO database and our social interactions add to the social structure of the MOO community. When we describe ourselves, build rooms of our own, create objects, program verbs that extend how we and others can express ourselves on-line, or create programs requiring advanced knowledge of MOO code, we are adding to and changing the MOO structure. The Internet can often be an isolated and isolating experience for students and educators.
Users can feel that there is a lack of 'human' contact, community, and support.
And the experience of on-line learning is just the individual and the computer. The average classroom is not in the position to facilitate the development of these skills. And no amount of 'academic' achievement alone will prepare students with the necessary experiences to allow them to take control of future learning and career opportunities. Existing virtual communities such as MediaMOO or BayMOO function well as social environments where students can 'play' and they are educational in a loose definition of the term. They do not provide the structure and support of an organized educational environment developed and researched by educators, academics, and on-line learning professionals.