Another memorable class moment was definitely meeting in the MOO (also called the "MUDD:" Multi-User Dimension Object-Orientated Server). Instead of physically going to class, we just all connected to the Internet during class time and met in the MOO. The MOO is similar to instant messenger or chat rooms in that you type your words in real time, but you have many more options with the MOO than with IM. For example, words scroll down the left half of the computer screen while images appear on the right half. You can travel through different rooms and view various objects, all the while talking to whomever is in the same room with you. You also have the ability to build your own objects and rooms. I built a connection of rooms called Shakire's living room. You can also pick a different name and gender in order to disguise yourself.
The MOO may be the future of teaching, but from a pedagogical standpoint, problems still exist which could hinder learning. For example, no one really has authority within the MOO (even the professor). Lack of central power, however, has both its positive and negative aspects. On the positive side, hypothetically everyone is equal in the MOO. One can "speak" as much or as little as one desires, and everyone has an equal opportunity to talk. The soft-spoken hold as much power as the dominant voices…after all, the written word doesn't differentiate. Even though participants may pay more attention to articulate, convincing writers, one can modify and improve her/his writing while shyness is typically a personality trait that is hard to overcome. For that reason, a characteristically quiet student could have greater influence in the MOO than in the classroom. The MOO also allows for more honest conversations; one is not as easily embarrassed when only faced with a computer screen.
Conversely, conversations can take an unexpected turn when students have false identities. For example, during our MOO session, the class was supposed to be role-playing the death scene in The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. Instead we had people dropping beer cans and slapping Isabella on the derriere. Needless to say, people (myself included) were reluctant to stick to the topic (especially when hiding behind a computer screen and a false identity).
Honestly, it's hard to say whether virtual classrooms could be beneficial overall. In the MOO, we were all infants trotting through unexplored territory, so intellectual conversations were somewhat limited. Yet perhaps with more experience the Internet could be a strong learning field for both students and teachers.