Virtual Worlds

The VWVLE project, or Supporting Education in Virtual Worlds with Virtual Learning Environments to give it its full name, has been funded as part of the JISC Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants round 5 to examine the wide range of emerging pedagogical opportunities offered through the integration of virtual worlds and web-based virtual learning environments.

The dates and call for abstracts for Researching Learning in Immersive Virtual Environments 2011: Creative Solutions for New Futures (ReLIVE11) have now been released. Running at the Open University in Milton Keynes on 21 and 22 September, the conference will explore issues around innovation in teaching and learning through immersive virtual worlds.

It was well worth the early start today to attend a fascinating webinar presented by Nicola Whitton of MMU on ‘assessment of game based learning’, part of the successful series of webinars hosted by the Transforming Assessment project funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council and based at the University of Adelaide.

The Web3D Consortium has just announced that its standardisation activities will now be open to the public, enabling non-members to participate in development of the specification at all stages rather than just during the public review prior to final approval.   There is still the opportunity for private discussion limited to consortium members.

I enjoyed this presentation by Francesco Dorazio of Makers of Universes.  Originally delievered at MetaMeets 09 in Amsterdam, Everything You Know About Virtual Worlds Is WRONG looks at some of the predictions made about virtual worlds and how they’ve actually transpired in reality.