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