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2011a.00877 Campbell, Stephen R. Mathematical modeling and virtual environments. Lesh, Richard (ed.) et al., Modeling students' mathematical modeling competencies. ICTMA 13. Proceedings of the 13th international conference on the teaching of mathematical modelling and applications, July 22--26, 2007. London: Springer (ISBN 978-1-4419-0560-4/hbk; 978-1-4419-0561-1/ebook). 583-593 (2010). 2010 London: Springer EN M10 U50 mathematical modeling web-based learning environments instructional modes teaching-learning processes

doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-0561-1_51

Summary: With the advent of new tools for constructing increasingly popular web-based virtual environments such as Second Life \url{http://www.secondlife.com}, educators face fundamental new questions. What kinds of teaching and learning experiences are possible in web-based mult-user virtual environments (VEs) that are not possible in physical environments (PEs)? How do teaching and learning experiences in VEs relate to teaching and learning experiences in PEs? With the special regard to mathematics education herein, what kinds of mathematics and mathematical applications can be modeled, simulated, and rendered more practically and intuitively in VEs than in PEs? What theories and methodologies might best be brought to bear in researching the teaching and learning of mathematical modeling and applications in virtual environments? This chapter offers background, overviews, inroads into formulating these and other related questions.