Most have seen an avatar on the computer screen - it's an image that represents an actual human being in cyberspace. Avatars are common in online role-playing games, where a player’s presence or location in the virtual reality environment is represented by an avatar character. Avatar technology is also well established in areas other than entertainment, including a variety of business, communication, and training applications.

New applications are emerging as avatar technology advances and avatars become more and more sophisticated. The use of avatars as learning agents is now considered a promising pedagogical approach for teaching and learning on-line. See my white paper on avatar technology for an overview of how avatars will facilitate e-learning in the 21st century.