MyVirtualLife
Two simulations in one, MyVirtualLife offers profound insights into development across the entire lifespan. After students parent a virtual child (by way of the included MyVirtualChild learning path), MyVirtualLife pivots to the first-person perspective of a virtual adult.
Students grow up alongside virtual family and friends, experience common situations and notable life milestones, and make decisions which impact their virtual life journey. Writing prompts ask students to reflect upon their real and virtual lives and apply what they’re learning in the course.
MyVirtualLife gives students a vivid sense of the impact of genetics, attitudes, and decisions across the whole lifespan. Feedback at the end of each developmental stage summarizes what students experienced in areas such as careers, relationships, health, and financial planning — and how they responded.
MyVirtualLife is included within Revel® Lifespan Development products, and is also available for standalone adoption. Explore how to get MyVirtualLife as part of your Revel course.
Highlights of the new release
The new release of MyVirtualLife offers several key improvements. Here are some of the highlights.
A more sophisticated and personalized experience fosters a deep emotional connection, making the lessons of MyVirtualLife more resonant.
- A wider variety of trajectories in the areas of education, career, relationships, health, and financial stability makes for a more immersive learning experience. For example, the financial decisions students make affect whether their virtual character will be able to buy a house and, later, whether they are in a good position to retire.
- A nuanced range of student responses, with additional variability in areas like sociability and coping, more closely mirrors reality. This helps students connect what they’re learning to their own lives.
- A more customizable digital avatar helps students better identify with their virtual alter egos. Students can choose from a wide range of skin, hair, and eye tones and colors, facial shapes, hairstyles, and clothing accessories.
The inclusion of contemporary topics helps MyVirtualLife feel familiar to students. For example, the life of a virtual adult may be impacted by using social media, interacting with someone who is transgender, or making a friend from a different cultural background.
About the authors
Julie Taylor-Massey, Colorado State University
Dr. Julie Taylor-Massey is part of the senior teaching faculty in the department of Human Development and Family Studies. Her specialty is normative individual and family developmental functioning from birth to death. Her interests include adolescence and early adulthood, the influence of technology on well-being, and online pedagogy. Since 2010, Dr. Taylor-Massey has taught exclusively online and specializes in pedagogical best practices for course design and delivery that help students effectively learn in the online format.
Frank Manis, University of Southern California
Dr. Manis is the creator of MyVirtualChild and MyVirtualLife. A child development instructor for over 40 years, Dr. Manis is passionate about promoting the use of technology to facilitate student learning. The major focus of his research has been on the identification of differences in cognitive profiles among children with reading difficulties.