What: Denver Post article about use of virtual teams and virtual worlds in education.
Post to which it is related: The Future of Virtual Teams: Collaboration in 3D Web, Building Trust in Virtual Teams.
Bottom line: Educators are incorporating virtual teamwork in virtual worlds that are designed specifically for student learning. Students find that this kind of learning is more interesting and engaging than simply using a text. Teachers find that the virtual world simulates a lot of important training situations (negotiation, business deals, teamwork) with none of the risk of trying this in a “real life” situation. Perhaps they could benefit from incorporating a team compact and After Action Reviews.

What: A Government Technology article about use of virtual training for emergencies
Post to which it is related: The Future of Virtual Teams: Collaboration in 3D Web, Building Trust in Virtual Teams.
Bottom line: This is similar to the first digest item – it discusses the use of virtual worlds to train people for disaster recovery and emergency response situations. Again, the point is that virtual worlds offer a newer form of simulation where the task being practiced is closer to real, but there is still no risk.

What: Business wire article about new IT-related programs at City University of Seattle.
Bottom line: We are starting to see virtual teamwork explicitly included as an element of higher education in IT-related programs.

What: An InfoWorld article about the adoption of virtual collaboration by US intelligence agencies.
Post to which it is related: Leading to Increase Commitment in Virtual World Collaboration, Controls in Virtual Teams: the Case of Boeing, Building Trust in Virtual Teams.
Bottom line: US intelligence agencies are adopting a virtual world for collaboration, in order to make better use of dispersed expertise and knowledge. Since the World Trade Center attack in 2001, US intelligence agencies have been criticized widely for an inability to get information across agencies or even departments where it could be put to use. If virtual world technology is to be used to overcome this lack of communication, agency employees must buy into the change, and policies and agency culture will probably have to change significantly.

What: Information week review of Qwaq, virtual world software for business meetings.

What: Article in Processor about the increasing use of virtual worlds in business.
Post to which it is related: Virtual Teams: Beneficial or Detrimental?, Lessons from the Military for Collaboration in Virtual Teams.
Bottom line: Although people may relate the term “virtual world” primarily to multi-player role playing games or “metaverses” like Second Life, this article points out that virtual worlds have a great deal of potential as a tool for organizations. This depends upon them being utilized in an effective way. This article gives some examples of how businesses are currently utilizing virtual worlds.