What's Happening

The image of an eagle's wing soaring reminds us that we must stretch and reach in order to employ imagination in challenging environments.

SAVE-ET II
Conference Speakers


KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Air Education and Training Command’s Use of Virtual Worlds in AF Training

Col John Thompson

Virtual World to 8th Grade Classroom to Jobs – The Latest from Whyville

Cliff Zintgraff

Since the our last SAVE-ET presentation, a lot has happened with Whyville in the classroom and in building pipelines for STEM engagement. Come hear the latest about our progress, and major new partnerships for Whyville.

TejanoTech: Shaping the identity of a virtual campus

Carmen Fies

The design, development, and continuing shaping of UTSA’s first virtual campus in SL is, in many ways, a multi-layered process of growth and of defining identity. The session will provide insights into theoretical and practical aspects of the planning process, including solutions found to unexpected challenges.

A Look at Virtual World Technology at UTSA

Crystal Sperber, Sara Bordelon, and Joe DeCristoforo

This presentation will review possible higher education student service applications of the use of this technology, the similarities and differences between training someone virtually vs. training someone in-person, how virtual worlds can be used for meeting virtually instead of in-person (UT System Registrars are now meeting in Second Life), and an overview of the UT System 50 Island Archipelago in Second Life project called "Virtual Learning Community Initiative."

Game Based Learning for Trainers and Subject Matter Experts

Mark P. Connolly Ph.D., and Erin Waldman

Creating game based learning for subject matter experts is a challenge in view of the complexity and expensive of building virtual reality environments that can incorporate real-world learning objectives. In this paper Informa Systems presents work that they are performing on a system that will enable game based learning to be created by a trainer or subject matter expert without the need for complex programming. A simple game will be created in real-time that will incorporate simulations and assessments. Some of the challenges and advantages of this system will also be presented.

Virtual Worlds 101

Linda Farley and Kurt Steuck

This session is designed as a “first look” into Second Life (SL). We’ll show several interesting locations within Second Life and discuss how SL is used in education and training.

Virtual Worlds 102

Kurt Steuck and Linda Farley

This follow on session will provide more information on the uses of virtual worlds in education and training. When is it appropriate to use virtual worlds? What are some of the decisions to address?

UIW’s Use of Virtual Worlds

Phil Youngblood, Ana Gonzalez, and Marcos Oliveira

UIW’s involvement in Second Life over the last two years has included three computer information systems classes with instructors and students in several countries, exploring experiences in a virtual world in philosophy and graduate communications classes, and aiding architectural students to visualize blueprints. Professors from the School of Pharmacy and School of Nursing are now exploring how Second Life can be used for orientation and a variety of training and simulation experiences. Additionally, foreign language training for professionals in the new School of Optometry and collaborative classes with Northwest Vista College in the field of nanotechnology are being planned for “UIW Cardinal” island.

Using Second Life to Facilitate Online Writing Tutoring

John Fennessy