A case study comparing children’s motivation using a virtual world,video and print material to learn global citizenship.

The last decade has seen an enormous surge in the use of virtual worlds by both adults and children. Educators are keen to discover how this technology can be transferred to the classroom to facilitate effective learning. The aim of this study was to compare children’s motivation with three media components: a virtual world, video and print materials. The intervention involved 27 children in first class in a primary school using components of the Panwapa website over a five week period. Methods used in this study included both quantitative and qualitative approaches using pre and post-tests of knowledge, questionnaires, non-participant observation and interviews. Findings suggest that children consider using a virtual world to be more enjoyable than using video or print material. Furthermore this study found that significant learning gains were made by the children when they used a programme that included a virtual world. This study confirms that children are more engaged and experience more enjoyment using a virtual world than when using video or print material. Large learning gains are achieved when children are highly engaged and having fun. This study provides further evidence of the benefits of using virtual worlds in the primary classroom.