Active Worlds and Education

AWEDU Newsletter

September 2000

The Active Worlds Educational Universe grows larger each week adding new schools and educational organizations with unique projects and ideas!

We're really quite proud of all of the projects in the AWEDU, and the dedication and creativity we are seeing in each of the virtual worlds! We think that as education and virtual reality enthusiasts you'll be impressed too!

Recent Events in the AWEDU

CyberForums@ArtCenter

Michael Heim, Virtual Worlds Coach at the Art Center College of Design, regularly hosts his Cyberforum@ArtCenter series in the AWEDU world accd.

Email: cyberforum@artcenter.edu
Web: www.mheim.com/cyberforum/index.htm

CyberForum presents real-time online author chats.

The Summer CyberForum examines interpretations of the Internet. How do we best understand cyberspace? As a cognitive information system or as a communicative event? Or perhaps as a spirit fantasy? Is cyberspace a cognitive engine evolving a planetary brain? If so, where do avatars fit? Or do they fit at all? The Summer Forum brings together Systems Theorists from Brussels (Principia Cybernetica), a Malaysian aesthetician, authors of the "Cluetrain Manifesto," and a host of gregarious avatars from India, Sweden, the United States, and all parts of the planet.

Recent Cyberforums have included:

David Weinberger of the Cluetrain Manifesto, and Cliff Joslyn of the Principia Cybernetica
Wednesday, August 9, 1:30 PM (PDT)

Cliff Joslyn is Cybernetician at Large in the Computer Research Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and a founding member of the Principia Cybernetica for developing systemic-evolutionary philosophy. http://www.c3.lanl.gov/~joslyn and http://pcp.vub.ac.be/

David Weinberger is editor of the Journal of the Hyperlinked Organization and a commentator for National Public Radio. He authored portions of the Cluetrain Manifesto and champions the networking of informal knowledge. http://www.cluetrain.com and http://www.hyperorg.com

Upcoming Events in the AWEDU

"Live 3D, Learn 3D" Building Global Learning Communities through Collaboration, Knowledge Networks and Play

Saturday October 14, 2000 10am PDT (1pm EST) to 3pm PDT (6pm EST) In the Education Universe, AWedu in Cyberspace

This year's conference in cyberspace will feature projects, programs and people who have been using and developing these spaces for educational purposes. This event will open up for one day a lens into where we are, where we are going, and how we are getting there as we redefine the educational experience through digital collaboration in compelling, original, avatar inhabited learning environments.

This worldwide event in cyberspace will feature multiple speaking tracks, tour streams through education worlds, a poster session in the VLearn Library and Birds of a Feather breakout sessions in selected AWedu worlds. Physical "nodes" located at Institutions around the globe will tap in via computer labs and large screen local broadcasts to see, talk about and experience this event as well as distributed virtual participants coming in from outside of the campus. A special panel on teleimmersion, telepresence and virtual worlds will link VLearn3D 2000 with the exciting activities of Avatars 2000 - Cyberspace for a New Millenium on October 15, 2000.

THE SPEAKER TRACKS - The tracks will feature discussions and examples of the use of virtual worlds in education, integration of gaming technology into virtual learning activities, issues surrounding design and technology, and more. Our speakers will come in from around the world to share their work with you.

Gaming Technologies and Learning Worlds
MUDs, MOOs and 3D MUVEs - Case studies and Collaboratory Examplars
Science Education in CVEs - Science Museums, Ecoworlds and 3D GIS
Multi Cultures/Multi Schools - Language Learning and Communication Across the Globe
Virtual Worlds in the K-12 - Tools and Tips for Teachers

For more information, see: http://www.vlearn3d.org/conf2000.htm