By Ian Sherr

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) –An Internet fantasy universe teeming with faux worlds devoted to socializing and video games is expanding to include virtual classrooms and universities.

A new trend in online education involves students acting through animated characters called “avatars” mingling in simulated school settings and even rocketing off, via the Internet, on quests for knowledge.

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By Ian Sherr

BERKELEY — Maria is an engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley. She’s smart, she’s witty, and she’s driven. But when her sister disappeared in early September, she feared doing anything.

“I can’t report things to the police,” she said. “I’m afraid to. I’m afraid they would deport me.”

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