▁also ▁used ▁with ▁elementary ▁school ▁students . ▁In ▁their ▁study , ▁Sun , ▁Lin , ▁and ▁Yu ▁( 2 0 0 8 ) ▁found ▁that ▁students ▁who ▁used ▁a ▁web - based ▁virtual ▁science ▁labor atory ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁traditional ▁teaching ▁methods ▁not ▁only ▁found ▁the ▁learning ▁experience ▁more ▁enjoy able , ▁they ▁also ▁performed ▁better ▁academ ically ▁and ▁received ▁higher ▁gr ades . ▁ ▁Baker ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁suggests ▁multi - user ▁virtual ▁environments ▁or ▁M U VE s ▁have ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁eng age ▁students . ▁Second ▁Life ▁holds ▁more ▁of ▁a ▁purpose ▁in ▁interaction ▁( B aker , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁Inst ruct ors ▁can ▁hold ▁lect ures ; ▁students ▁can ▁collabor ate ▁through ▁chat ▁in ▁Second ▁Life . ▁When ▁compared ▁to ▁a ▁discussion ▁board , ▁Second ▁Life ▁is ▁a ▁vi able ▁alternative ▁for ▁distance ▁learning ▁students ▁to ▁develop ▁group ▁work ▁skills . ▁At ▁Ch es ape ake ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Baltimore ▁County , ▁Maryland , ▁students ▁explore ▁the ▁e colog ical ▁environment ▁surrounding ▁M t . ▁St . ▁Hel ens ▁via ▁a ▁ 3 D ▁virtual ▁learning ▁environment ▁( C urr icul um ▁Review ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁Stud ents ▁navigate ▁through ▁the ▁environment ▁with ▁a ▁virtual ▁un mann ed ▁vehicle ▁and ▁work ▁collabor atively ▁to ▁solve ▁e colog ical ▁and ▁environmental ▁problems ▁that ▁are ▁built ▁into ▁the ▁program ▁for ▁instruction al ▁purposes . ▁Eng aging ▁in ▁the ▁V LE ▁provides ▁many ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁application , ▁data ▁collection ,