Online Learning with Virtual Puppetry

The first part of this paper introduces learning environments built on virtual worlds with the idea that avatars match the characters from theatrical productions. An actor performing on the stage of these new virtual theatres must master the rules of the world he has entered and in so doing engages in "natural" experiential learning. Then, within this general framework, we describe a system developed for 9-10 year old children. In this environment actors in different localities are connected to the Internet and use puppets to act out a story, giving them voice and movement. The way the little puppeteers "move the strings" of their puppets allows them to experiment with and learn the first elements of programming. Our software has been tested in a classroom where the actors shared not only the virtual space of the stage but also the physical classroom in which they were located.