CVL will host multiple presentations, exhibits, and immersive experiences at Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education 2019 (VWBPE 2019), April 4-6, 2019 (with immersive experiences two weeks before and after the conference).
VWBPE 2019 is organized by Becky Adams, Beth O’Connell, Heike Philp, iSkye Silverweb (SL), Kevin Feenan, Lorraine Mockford, and Mary O’Brian. This year’s theme is “re:Vision–not just a concept, but a passion of those who seek to revise old ideas or innovate new ones into our modern extended reality “.
Join CVL librarians and volunteers at the following events:
CVL Exhibits (Open to the public beginning April 1, 2019)
- Virtual Worlds Database: Growing and Evolving
- Where: Exhibits are located in VWBPE’s Conference Hall in Second Life. Consult VWBPE’s Conference Hall Map for individual exhibit locations.
- This exhibit features CVL’s Virtual Worlds Database: a free, crowdsourced, online tool that connects educational virtual world users and communities. The exhibit outlines why CVL created the database, how it has evolved, its current progress, how to use the database, and future plans for expansion.
- San Jose State University’s iSchool VCARA Island (CVL Affiliate)
- Where: Exhibits are located in VWBPE’s Conference Hall in Second Life. Consult VWBPE’s Conference Hall Map for individual exhibit locations.
- This exhibit highlights the Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration’s past and future events and projects. This exhibit will focus on VCARA’s successful use of virtual worlds as a venue for helping students connect, collaborate, and learn with other students, professors, and educators across the world.
CVL Immersive Experiences (Pre-Conference)
- Monday 3/25/19 @ 6-7pm SLT — VCARA: Participate. Educate. Innovate.
- Host: Alyse Dunavant-Jones (SL: AlyseDunavantJones), Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration, School of Information, San Jose State University (CVL Affiliate)
- Where: iSchool Island (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/47/83/33 )
- Participants will explore the U-See-Um exhibit and interact with diverse media to answer questions about the evolution of SJSU iSchool’s VCARA as an immersive learning space with content related to virtual worlds, education, information science and archives. Then participants will navigate through the 10-story Archivium, interacting with past VCARA conference presentations including slideshows, video, text, and audio to receive a prize at the top.
Participants will locate exhibit content to identify key aspects of immersive education history.
Participants will encounter and analyze interactive content while navigating an immersive landscape.
- Tuesday 4/2/19 @ 6-7:30pm SLT – You have been recruited to join The Agency!
- Host: Brant Knutzen (SL: MrK Kas), University of Hong Kong (CVL Affiliate)
- Where: Lingnan Drama Island (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lingnan%20Drama%20Island/214/23/13)
- You have been recruited to join the Agency, to stop dark forces from diverting the river of time.
Your team is forming up to teleport into the Nautilus, a submarine hidden on the edge of the Republic of Venice in the year 1600.
You must work as a group to find clues to the disappearance of Captain Nemo, and don dive suits to explore the ocean floor and reveal the mysterious beginnings of the dark force. Later, you will take command of the Black Pearl pirate ship, and stop the invasion of Venice!
Participants will be able to socially collaborate on solving problems in a virtual world.
Participants will be able to form a new identity to solve problems in a virtual world.
CVL Presentations
- Saturday 4/6/19 @ 9-10:20am SLT – Metaphorical insights with Symbolic Modeling
- Presenters: Niela Miller (SL: Marly Milena), Educators and Trainers; Janie Teague-Urbach (SL: Katsii Tennen), Support and Help Communities (CVL Affiliates)
- Where: VWBPE 2019 Workshop (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/183/96/25)
- This workshop shows some short films demonstrating the use of Symbolic Modeling (SymMods) in areas of education, personal/professional development and creative expression, and discusses the theoretical basis and approach to applying metaphorical thinking in virtual teaching/learning. This session also demonstrates some examples of this approach. It ntroduces an opportunity for being trained in facilitating the use of SymMods in virtual learning environments, particularly Second Life.
Participants will be able to understand how metaphorical thinking can enhance learning
Participants will be able to recognize and discuss possible applications to their own endeavors
- Saturday 4/6/19 @ 10-10:50am SLT – Dickens Project Exemplifies Virtual Collaboration
- Presenters: Valerie Hill (SL: Valibrarian Gregg), Peninsula College; Breiana Theodore (SL: Jodie Landon); Mary Pat Lynch (SL: Aoife Lorefield)
- Where: VWBPE 2019 Lecture Area A (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60)
- The Dickens Project, a virtual simulation of A Christmas Carol and the life and times of Charles Dickens built by Seanchai Library, has been held annually in Second Life for six years. The Community Virtual Library partnered with Seanchai Library for the past three years to enhance the educational simulation with research and the Urchins of London game was added in 2018. The collaborative process illustrates best practices for virtual world learning.
Participants will observe successful virtual world collaboration for deep learning across distance.
Participants will interact with librarians, educators, and artists working together.
- Saturday 4/6/19 @ Noon-12:50pm SLT – VR and Virtual Worlds: One and the Same?
- Presenters: Alyse Dunavant-Jones (SL: AlyseDunavantJones), Advocacy and NonProfit; Valerie Hill (SL: Valibrarian), Advocacy and NonProfit; Marie Vans (SL: amvans Lapis), Advocacy and NonProfit
- Where: VWBPE 2019 Lecture Area A (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%202/92/86/60)
- Through librarians’ perspectives, this presentation analyzes conflicting definitions of VR and virtual worlds and addresses friction between VR and 3D virtual world developers and users. The presentation contrasts two free, desktop-compatible VR worlds (AltspaceVR and Sansar) and summarizes the state of communities in these worlds vs. 3D virtual worlds like Second Life. Ultimately, it proposes best practices for future educational collaboration and digital citizenship across virtual platforms.
Participants will be aware of the complex relationship between VR and virtual worlds
Participants will understand advantages, challenges, and tips for collaborating with VR proponents
CVL Immersive Experiences (Post-Conference)
- Friday 4/12/19 @ 9:30-11am SLT — CVL presents: Hypergrid Resources Library Poker Run
- Hosts: Bethany Winslow (Bethany Winslow), Project Lead for CVL’s Hypergrid Resources Library; Valerie Hill (Valibrarian), Director, Community Virtual Library
- Where: CVL Hypergrid Library in Kitely (To access the library in Kitely, check out Bethany’s detailed access options)
- Embark on a hypergrid adventure and poker run to visit two Hypergrid Resource Libraries in development on the Kitely and Avacon grids. This Community Virtual Library project will provide resources to help educators new to OpenSim to develop sustainable communities of practice across multiple virtual worlds. Help us test our hypergrid portals and give us your valuable feedback that will guide the ongoing development of the library in both locations. Plus, the best poker hand wins a prize!
Participants will be able to find this growing resource, and hopefully be inspired to get involved!
Participants will be able to understand how these resources will help educators new to OpenSim.
This venue will be available for individual exploration. Visit whenever you like, as often as you wish, from the weekend of the conference through Sunday April 21st. Enter the prize drawing by taking an in-world screenshot of your best poker hand. Email your screenshot to bethany.winslow@sjsu.edu by no later than midnight Sunday April 21, 2019. The best hand wins as-yet-to-be- determined prize!
- Saturday 4/13/19 @ 10-11:30am — Creative Expression at CVL’s Music Library
- Hosts: Alyse Dunavant-Jones (AlyseDunavantJones), Community Virtual Library, New Media Arts; Niela Miller (Marly Milena), OCTAGON:Creative Exploration, Virtual Inspiration Island
- Where: CVL Music Library (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/92/141/21)
- Participants will visit the Community Virtual Library’s new Music Library. The experience will begin with an introduction to the space and explanation of Symbolic Modeling (developed by Marly Milena of Octagon:Creative Exploration). Inspired by music and each other, participants will build a group sculpture, engage in discussion, and learn how CVL will use Symbolic Modeling in the future. Basic building help will be provided for participants new to building/creating art in Second Life.
Participants will be able to interact with the varying media in CVL’s Music Library collection.
Participants will create a community sculpture to contribute to CVL’s new Music Library.
- Monday 4/15/19 @ 5-6pm SLT — Digital Citizens around a Community Drum
- Hosts: Valerie Hill (Valibrarian Gregg), Community Virtual Library; Kara Bennett (Dancers Yao), Elder Voices
- Where: CVL Exhibit – Digital Citizens Around a Community Drum (SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/172/81/21)
- As digital citizens, we each are journeying along a unique path with a personal story and perspective. Global digital participatory culture requires personal responsibilities for authenticity and ethics. Come learn about a storytelling community drum advocating digital citizenship. Share stories in a 3D learning environment.
Participants will witness various perspectives of digital citizenship through personal stories.
Participants will have an opportunity to voice their own digital citizenship stories.
- Friday 4/19/19 @ 10-11:30am – Digital Citizenship Museum in Kitely
- Hosts: Marie Vans (amvans lapis); Valerie Hill (Valibrarian Gregg); Alyse Dunavant-Jones (Antemeridian Discjockey); All – Community Virtual Library
- Where: Digital Citizenship Museum in Kitely (To access the museum in Kitely, visit the full event entry)
- Participants will first participate in an interactive presentation that describes Digital Citizenship and the goals of the sim. Each of several buildings houses either a multi-media presentation or interactive slide show for a topic within Digital Citizenship. The interactive materials in each building were created by a variety of educators across the metaverse, bringing a diverse set of perspectives and ideas which we will then discuss near the end of the allotted time.
Participants will be able to disseminate information on what it means to be digital citizen in Virtual Worlds.
Participants will be able to voice meaningful suggestions on improving digital citizenship education.
We hope to see you at the conference!
For more information and a complete list of VWBPE 2019 events, check out the official VWBPE 2019 Calendar. If you are a CVL volunteer or affiliate and would like to see your presentation, exhibit, or immersive experience listed here, contact CVL Assistant Director and Blog Editor Alyse Dunavant-Jones (alyse.dunavant-jones@sjsu.edu).
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