Preparation for the beginning of a new semester has preventing me from contributing as much as I would like to my blog but I thought I would share a Wordpress plug that I am also testing in this post.  Hopefully (fingers crossed) a social book mark bar will appear with this post.  If it works and you like it you can find it at Apostolos Dountsis’ blog.

I finally got a chance to visit Aura Lily’s ancient Egypt sim in Second Life.  Pathfinder sent a link to the SLED listserve awhile back but I got busy and forgot about it until tonight when I was preparing a presentation on Virtual Worlds for tomorrow.  It was a real treat to meet Aura – she took me on an extensive tour of the space including a throne and secret tomb complete with a mummy.  It is such a wonderful experience and the work that was done on this project is absolutely incredibly.  I do not want to blog too much about it since I would like ot return for a slatenight interview.

You can see more photos as a well as a more complete description of the site on Pathfinder’s Flickr account.  Here is a little blurb from Pathfinder’s visit:

Aura’s work is simply amazing, and I think the educational potential to use Second Life as an immersive way to explore ancient architecture and culture is limitless. She has no formal training in 3d modeling, yet she has a true passion for this ancient era and has done all of this work completely on her own. Simply incredible. Visit her amazing space in Second Life and experience it firsthand!

Be sure to visit her gift shop as well.  I am going to save some lindens for a purchase when I return

What a day crazy day!! Tomorrow starts three days of non-stop faculty workshops but luckily I had some time to join the NMC Teachers’ Buzz Session. I give CDB and Corwin a lot of credit – it is not easy to manage a large crowd with many threads of conservations going at once. Their goal is to host a session once a week to support teachers working in SL – one a week might be hard to keep up with as we found out with the SLED/Grad student group. I even got to show off the new in world edition of SLATENight which rezzed a giant book (smaller one was requested for the NMC library) while having a cup of coffee.

Another great surprise was seeing AngryBeth’s Flicker script at work. Pretty Cool!

SLATENight Launch Party

SLATENIGHT is now available for download in a beautiful PDF format (available through my server until I see a link for it on the main site).  I am very proud to see that my article appears on page 3 – be sure to check it out!!  I am already hard at owrk on my next article thanks to Daniel Winkler (Dan Magpie in SL) detailing his work with Kids Connect.  I cannot tell you more – you must read the next issue of slatenight

Appalachian State University & Purdue University were awarded the 2006 Campus Technology Innovators award for their creation of a 3D virtual space using Active Worlds technology.  Appalachian state describes their students as “a mid-career educator who is not familiar with immersive learning environments, has only a basic understanding of traditional web-based learning systems, and has access to rather modest technology”. 

Online instruction may have been an obvious choice to serve these geographically dispersed students, but ASU had specific objectives to meet before it would call the program a success. The stated challenge was to “create an online learning environment that: maintains fidelity to our conceptual framework; supports our social constructivist teaching methods; allows for serendipitous, non-structured interactions between students, instructors, and others; and supports participants’ sense of presence/ absence of others.” Their solution is AET Zone, a 3D, immersive world for learning that serves as the social, curricular, and pedagogical hub for all content and most interactions in the Instructional Technology program.

ASU has since opended the AET Zone to the wider educational community, allowing researchers, students and educators from all over the globe to use this environment.  These visitors are encouraged to plan meeting and build spaces of their own.  What is interesting is that the article describes the integration of discussion boards, voice-over-IP and a “group-oriented custom course management system built in-house”.  I cannot wait to check it out!

 The end of the summer is always a tough time – lots to do at work, prep for teaching and dusting off that pesky literature review.  I have been making a big effort to try to keep up with the SLED list especially since the weekly meetings seem to be on a break (although NMC is going to start a weekly Monday meeting).  Recently there was a post about a new group being started with weekly meetings on Tuesday night at 10pm EST – the Synthetic World Initiative at Indiana University.  It seems that this group started out of the work/research done by Ted Castronova in World of Warcraft.  The group is named the Kuurian Expediton after the original World of Warcraft guild.  The group is open to more then just educators – journalists, industry people, etc are involved.  It is not clear if this group is open to everyone but more information can be found on their wiki.

  On a another note – SL partner in crime, Heidi TeeCee, has a bought her self some new hair and skin.  Its about time – thank you Baccarra for convincing her!!!

Now all we need to do is get her some new clothes

Is it possible that I could go on vacation in SL and stay at a swanky hotel?   The article Second Lifers get first look at new hotel chain describes the project undertaken by Starwood Resorts to build a 3D replica of the real-world Aloft Inn scheduled to open in real-life in 2008.  The SL version is being contructed by the Electric Sheep Comany, the same development group that built the NMC Campus.  It is interesting to consider why the hotel chain would consider replicating a hotel in a virtual world.  Electric Sheep’s Constable stated:

“It’s one thing to go to a Web site and look at some pictures of a design, but its another thing to be able to walk into a space, immerse yourself in the space, and then to walk into it with a friend and have a debate and talk about what works and what doesn’t work.”

What strikes me as interesting is that this statement is so similar to a converstation that we had this morning with a faculty member.  The question was “Why use virtual worlds for education?”  For much of the same reasons that Starwood is looking for an immersive experience for potential customers, educators want to create an immersive space for students.  How many of our students just clicked through the content we created on the web just to get through it?  How many of use skimmed a chapter in a text or read the last page of the book first?  When carefully contructed, activities in virtual worlds can be much more engaging and time on task can increase (among lots of other benefits).  Looking forward to more innovative spaces being accessible to SL residents.

I was so excited to see a post regarding a training environment on the SLED list today especially after my unsuccessful campaign to gain access to Masie’s LearnLand for my students.  It would be ashame to only use SL for one unit in my organizational psychology class especially when so much preparation and training involved in getting a group of students used to the SL environment.  As soon as I saw the Play2Train post I immediately emailed Ramesh to see if there was a way that we could collaborate.  Play2Train is described as a diorama “designed to support Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), Simple Triage Rapid Transportation (START), Risk Communication and Incident Command System (ICS) Training”.  For the purposes of my class I want to provide my students with the experience of going through a training simulation and also investigate new technologies to deliver training but after spending so much time with River City I wonder how this environment (which has a similar theme) would differ.  Hopefully Ramesh will email me soon

 Its funny, there is no TV in our room but I was able to get a faint wireless signal.  We are having a wonderful time on Block Island – the weather is beautiful!  This is our last vacation before the summer ends and I am glad that we got a chance to get away one more time.  Check out my pics on Flickr – don’t be too jealous

Comics in SL???  Yes, its true.  I have to admit that I thought it was a quirky idea when Anya first told me that Jokay created a comic book for the slatenight.com magazine but I am absolutely in love with the idea.  I have to credit Heidi with bringing the comic back to our attention (its has been a crazy couple of weeks) and if you have not seen it be sure to check it out. 

Imagine the possibilities, especially if you are as artistically challenged as myself.  I see comics for faculty development workshops, student training materials and other campaigns on campus.  So cool!  I downloaded the free trail software for Comic Book Creator – I will be sure to share some of our creations.  Any volunteers to act as models in the comic???