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In this paper, we propose that visualized activities and experiences created in 3D virtual worlds may provide a new type of learning community memory. We explore how such activities and experience can be captured, crystallized, and reused with this technology in three prototypes designed on two platforms. This approach can support learning communities by addressing the common challenge of acquiring and communicating tacit knowledge that resides in practices and relations developed by the participants. Based on our experiences, we discuss the possibilities and challenges for creating and using repositories of community memory as visualized activities in 3D virtual worlds, outlining a framework for capturing, visualizing, and accessing such activities. The results of our exploration demonstrated that repositories of the 'fluid' community knowledge might be in fact created and used. At the same time, more extensive evaluation and further research are required for developing the approach suggested.

IntroductionThis study explores narratives of physicians negotiating liminality while becoming and being mentors for medical students. Liminality is the unstable phase of a learning trajectory in which one leaves behind one understanding but has yet to reach a new insight or position.MethodsIn this study, we analysed semi‐structural interviews of 22 physician mentors from group‐based mentoring programmes at two Norwegian and one Canadian medical school. In a dialogical narrative analysis, we applied liminality as a sensitising lens, focusing on informants' stories of becoming a mentor.ResultsLiminality is an unavoidable aspect of developing as a mentor. Which strategies mentors resort to when facing liminality are influenced by their narrative coherence. Some mentors thrive in liminality, enjoying the possibility of learning and developing as mentors. Others deem mentoring and the medical humanities peripheral to medicine and thus struggle with integrating mentor and physician identities. They may contradict themselves as they shift between their multiple identities, resulting in rejection of the learning potentials that liminality affords.ConclusionMentors with integrated physician and mentor identities can embrace liminality and develop as mentors. Those mentors with contradicting dialogues between their identities may avoid liminality if it challenges their understanding of who they are and make them experience discomfort, confusion and insufficiency while becoming a mentor. Support of the mentoring role from the clinical culture may help these physicians develop internal dialogues that reconcile their clinician and mentor identities.