Download - Virtual Worlds and the (real) West Midlands
Virtual Worlds and the (real)
West Midlands
Virtual Worlds in Education Forum
#VWEF7UggBoy http://www.flickr.com/photos/uggboy/4187723008/
www.virtualworldwatch.net
Prevailing images of Birmingham
Clive A Brown http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/3253428773/
Pete Ashton http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteashton/83021904/
Mmmm, bright lights and shiny things
John Kirriemuir http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversprite/4107217640/
Mmm, food...
Rubén díaz http://www.flickr.com/photos/incongruente/565351847
IT’S (FINALLY) GOOD TO LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM
Over 1,000 years old but constantly regenerating.
One of Europe’s largest and busiest city shopping areas.
8 minutes by train from the centre to the airport.
Building one of Europe’s major public libraries.
Growing digital media sector...http://www.flickr.com/photos/rorymunro/3501595396/
Birmingham digital conference top trended more than #sxsw
Speaking of #sxsw...
Lloyd Davis http://www.flickr.com/photos/lloyd-davis/3635492959/
Social Media City
Daden Media http://www.flickr.com/photos/dadenmedia/2984445431/
3D Birmingham in Second Life
VIRTUAL WORLD USE BY UK ACADEMICS
CURRENT STATE OF PLAY
• 90%+ of UK academics who use VWs use Second Life.
• All bar one UK university has done something in VWs.
• Activity in UK colleges much patchier.
• Some, but not much, overlap with academic communities who use other technologies e.g. Blackboard, digital games.
• Steadily growing research base of materials.
• Difficulty in quickly/simply showing benefits of virtual worlds to colleagues, students, noobs underlying problem.
Meeting, exchanging information, using info services
Sheila Webber http://www.flickr.com/photos/23396182@N00/4259812586/
Learning about e-Learning (MSc graduation)
Fiona Littleton http://www.flickr.com/photos/flittleton/4150476530/
Training in dealing with medical situations
Kate Boardman http://www.flickr.com/photos/kattanhurnung/4115602444/
WHY USE A VIRTUAL WORLD? SOME (STILL VALID) REASONS...
• Meet, talk, while at home or office - reduce CO2 emissions ...
• ... and save travel time and expense.
• Develop team communication and collaboration skills.
• Develop design and programming skills.
• Integrate video, audio, digital media as you want it, into an event or display which anyone globally can access.
• Teach, either one-to-one or one-to-many.
Tour of the testicle (difficult in real life)
Sheila Webber http://www.flickr.com/photos/23396182@N00/4383619832/
Make virtual stuff that (safely) does physical stuff
SGVW team, University of Ulster http://www.flickr.com/photos/33422226@N04/4381901772/
Mix up, integrate, access other digital content
Marf Shopmyer http://www.flickr.com/photos/marfita/4086703367/
SECOND LIFE: EMBRACE OR AVOID?
“It’s easy to use.”
“There’s loads of free stuff in there already.”
“There’s lots of other academics in my subject area using it.”
“Been around for many years, so looks solid.”
“It’s hard to use.”
“Bloody expensive to get a decent chunk of land.”
“Academics I know have been scared off it because of newspaper stories.”
“Every week a VW seems to fold; is Second Life next?”
Daniel Livingstone http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlivingstone/3386455574/
Testing virtual worlds now gone e.g. Metaplace
Testing other virtual worlds e.g. ReactionGrid
Annabeth Robinson http://www.flickr.com/photos/annamorphic/3977757074/
MAIN SUBJECT AREAS OF VW USE
Health and medicine.
Nursing training.
Midwifery.
Health and safety training.
Physics simulations e.g. wind turbines.
Information science theory.
Art and fashion.
Legal training.
Theatre and drama.
Computer science programming.
Crime scene training.
Languages, esp. Spanish.
PROBLEMO...
“What the hell is going on?”
Josie Anderton http://www.flickr.com/photos/21063388@N04/3990778136/
Everything you do online will kill you
Everything your kids do non-traditionally will kill them
(Because “we” never had online “in my day”...)
Campaign for Real Education http://www.cre.org.uk/philosophies.html
Chatroulette: pouring petrol on the sensationalist bonfire
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30003230@N00/4418074260/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/30003230@N00/4417307453/
Money and politics and expenditure and debt and money...
http://mydavidcameron.com/posters4/osborne2