CoVE, Jersey, MUM-can virtual environments be the next step?

Computer networks are at the center of new educational uses of computer technology. However, the prevailing model remains restricted to a flat world of documents and limited communication spaces. We think that the true potential of computer networks is in using virtual environments (VEs) that offer unlimited and natural support for a variety of individual and social processes, particularly collaborative ones. We have implemented or adapted and extended several VEs and used them in a limited way in educational and other settings. We describe the experience that led to our latest model and its prototype under development.