Avatars and Teaching?

Who would have ever thought that an avatar could be a teaching technique? I surely didn't; however today, we learned how to create avatars. The sub suggested a couple of different ways that avatars could be used in teaching. First, he showed us a tutoring type of scenario. This could be used in practice for student teachers with how students would react without using real students. Also, the sub suggested that new areas could be created and a teacher could make a place like Jamestown and teach history by using the avatar. The avatars could also be used while doing class plays. They could act out the play on the computer rather than the actual student being in front of the class. I don't think this is a way that I would teach unless I could get all the kinks out. (This class took a while to get all the avatars working and some didn't work at all.) I think that it is something that would engage students in the lesson. So, if it were to have fewer problems, I could see myself using it in the classroom.