Hundreds of virtual worlds have been created to serve entertainment, educational, and corporate markets, yet few offer more than a glimpse of what technological innovations in these worlds may mean for the real world. What will the unprecedented growth in virtual worlds mean for education? This special issue will consider the opportunities and challenges offered by the proliferation of virtual worlds and online simulations. In contrast to our forthcoming special issue on Academics in Virtual Worlds, scheduled for publication in December 2008/January 2009, which focuses on higher education, this issue will look at the uses of virtual worlds for education across the spectrum, from K-12 to corporate training to informal learning, thereby reaching beyond the campus, virtual or actual, to encompass a wide range of contexts.

Submissions for this special issue may address, but are not limited to, these key areas:

1. Technologies used to create and manage virtual environments (tools, hardware, software)

2. Vision for what virtual environments could be (architecture, metaphors)

3. Teaching and learning in virtual environments
4. Role playing and simulations
5. Social constructivism
6. Communication and collaboration in virtual environments
7. Serendipitous interactions and learning

8. Community formation in virtual environments (interaction, self-presentation, social presence)

9. Administrative or technical support issues in virtual environments

10. Change in virtual environments (advocacy for, dissemination and sharing of research, how change takes place)

11. Resources for creating or supporting virtual environments

12. Research on virtual environments in general or in support of any of the above themes

If you would like to submit a manuscript for this issue, please review our submission guidelines [2] and send your manuscript to the guest editors, Stephen Bronack [3], Owen Kelly [4], Roni Linser [5], and to the editor-in-chief, James Morrison [6], no later than November 1, 2008.