Scholarship > AET Zone

AET Zone is a 3-dimensional synthetic world designed to support the students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the ASU Instructional Technology program.  AET Zone offers users an immersive environment, where each perceives space, movement, and the presence of others.  Users select "avatars" - digital representations of themselves -  and interact with content embedded within the world, as well as with other users via communication tools such as discussion forums and text- and audio-based chats. 

Students view AET Zone as a rich environment in which to explore and to learn.  They appreciate the ability to follow their own paths for learning that the environment affords.  Personally, AET Zone has helped me interact with my students in more fluid and natural ways.  AET Zone has become a focal point for a developing learning community that spans across cohorts, classes, and even countries.

As of April 25, 2007, AET Zone is a patent-pending application.  A patent entitled "Virtual Education System and Method of Instruction" (application serial # US 11/739,866) was registered with the USPTO.

Publications and presentations related to AET Zone:

Bronack, S., Sanders, R., Cheney, A., Riedl, R., Tashner, J., & Matzen, N. (in press). Presence pedagogy: Teaching in a 3D virtual immersive world. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20(1), p. ###-###.

Cheney, A., Sanders, R., Matzen, N., Bronack, S., Riedl, R., & Tashner, J. (in press). A virtual world for collaboration: The AET Zone. In T. Mikropoulos, V. Pantelidis, & C. Chen (Eds.), Virtual reality in education. Klidarithmos Books: Athens, Greece, p ##-##.

Bronack, S., Cheney, A., Riedl, R., & Tashner, J. (2008). Designing virtual worlds to facilitate communication: Issues, considerations, and lessons learned. Technical Communication, 55(3), p. 261-269.

Gilman, R., Tashner, J., Riedl, R., Bronack, S., Cheney, A., Sanders, R., & Angel, R. (2008). Teaching IT through learning communities in a 3D immersive world: The Evolution of Online Instruction. In S. Negash, M. Whitman, A. Woszczynski, K. Hoganson, & H. Mattord (Eds.), Handbook of distance learning for real-time and asynchronous information technology education. Idea Group, Inc: Hershey, PA, p. 65-82.

Cheney, A., Matzen, N., Sanders, R., Bronack, S., Riedl, R. & Tashner, J. (2008). Social constructivism in a 3D immersive world. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2008 (pp. 2922-2929). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Sanders, R., Bronack, S., Riedl, R., Cheney, A., Matzen, N., Rhyne, S., Marklin, J., & Rooney, M. (2008).  The digital natives best practice design project.  UNC Teaching and Learning With Technology Conference, March 2008, Raleigh, NC USA.

Cheney, A., Matzen, N., Sanders, R., Bronack, S., Riedl, R., & Tashner, J. (2008).  Social constructivism in a 3D immersive world.  Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, (2008), 1 p. 2922-2929.

Cheney, A., & Bronack, S., (2008). Learning outcomes in a 3D immersive world. Florida Educational Technology Conference, January 2008. Orlando, Florida USA.

Sanders, R., Bonham, B., Bronack, S., Profitt, A., Turner, G. & Link, M. (2007). The expanding universe: The virtual world of LES. League of Worlds Annual Meeting, October 2007.  Karlskrona, Sweden.

Gilman, R., Tashner, J., Bronack, S., Riedl, R., & Cheney, A. (2007). Crossing Continents: Bringing teachers and learners together through a 3D immersive world. Educators' eZine, April 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2007, from http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604336

Tashner, J.H., Riedl, R.E., Bronack, S.C., Cheney, A.L., Gilman, R.M., Sanders, R.L. & Angel, R.B. (2007, January). Learning communities in 3D immersive worlds: Evolving online instruction.  Hawaii International Conference on Education, Oahu, Hawaii.

Bronack, S., Riedl, R., & Tashner, J. (2006). Learning in the zone: A social constructivist framework for distance education in a 3D virtual world. Interactive Learning Environments, 14(3) p. 219-232.

Jones, J.G. & Bronack, S.C. (2006). Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3D online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich. & M. Prensky (Eds.), Games and simulations in online learning. Hershey, PA.: Idea Publishing Group, 89-114

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E. & Tashner, J.H. (2006, November). Education in the zone: Deep learning in a 3D virtual world. League of Worlds Annual Meeting.  Boone, North Carolina.

Bronack, S.C. (2006, June). Learning beyond the web. ASTD Charlotte e-learning SIG, Charlotte, NC.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., Tashner, J.H. & Greene, M.W. (2006, March). Learning in the zone: A social constructivist framework for distance education in a 3D virtual world.  Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, (2006), 1 p. 268-275.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., & Tashner, J.H. (2005, March). Teaching in 3D: Developing learning communities in a multi-user virtual environment. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, (2005), 1 p. 2166-2170.

Tashner, J.H., Bronack, S.C. & Riedl, R.E. (2005, March). 3D web-based worlds for instruction. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, (2005),1 p. 2114-2118.

Tashner, J.H, Riedl, R.E. & Bronack, S.C. (2005) Virtual worlds: Further development of web-based teaching. Hawaii International Conference on Education (2005), 1 p 4579-4588.

Tashner, J.H., Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., Angel, R.B., Sanders, R.L. & Greene, M.W. (2006, March). Exploring new forms of online collaborative learning communities: Teaching and learning in 3D virtual worlds. University of North Carolina Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference.  Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E. & Tashner, J.H. (2005, November). Education in the zone: Teaching and Learning in a 3D virtual world. League of Worlds Annual Meeting. Melbourne, Australia.

Angel, R.B., Riedl, R.E., Bronack, S.C., & Tashner, J.H. (2005, November). An examination of the influences of a social constructivist conceptual framework on creating a virtual world for graduate teaching and learning.  League of Worlds Annual Meeting.  Melbourne, Australia.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., & Tashner, J.H. (2005, September). Innovation in learning: Assumptions about teaching in a virtual world. International Conference on College Teaching, Methods, and Styles, Reno, Nevada.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., & Tashner, J.H. (2004, October). Teaching in a virtual world. League of Worlds Annual Meeting. Helsinki, Finland.

Riedl, R.E., Tashner, J.H., & Bronack, S.C. (2003). A Virtual world initiative: Assumptions about teaching and learning. International Conference on New Educational Environments. Lucerne, Switzerland.