In the past decade, virtual worlds have progressed from isolated sectors of the Internet, inhabited by computer and fantasy role-playing enthusiasts, to one of the fastest growing sectors in the gaming industry. In the process, they have established themselves as promising venues for the delivery of online instruction. Unfortunately, during that same time instructional design practices have failed to keep up with the prolific growth of these worlds. This article presents (1) the i-MMOLE framework for designing lessons that incorporate virtual worlds, and (2) preliminary research and implications for practice related to the early adoption of this framework. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)