Avatar Supported Learning in a Virtual University

As e-learning gains importance in academic education, new opportunities emerge by the use of advanced avatar technology, specifically with the use of iBot2000 technology to create “robot avatars” as teachers. The objectives of the paper are to study the options, extent and limitations of avatar technology for academic studies in under- and postgraduate courses. In recent years, Tony Dyson, a worldwide acknowledged robot expert, creator of Star Wars' R2D2, has developed the iBot2000 technology. It is used to create intelligent virtual robots adaptable to different environments with the ability to speak different languages providing logical answers to questions asked. This technology offers the opportunity for blended e-learning to enter the field of the virtual 3-D university (Dyson 2009). Information about this was collected through interviews with Tony Dyson revealing the inventor’s view on such technology’s advantages within academic studies