A presentation to the JISC West Midlands Virtual Worlds in Education Forum. This presentation is rated 15.

1. Virtual Worlds
and the (real)
West Midlands
www.virtualworldwatch.net
Virtual Worlds in
Education Forum
#VWEF7
UggBoy http://www.flickr.com/photos/uggboy/4187723008/

2. Prevailing images of Birmingham
Pete Ashton http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteashton/83021904/
Clive A Brown http://www.flickr.com/photos/cliveabrown/3253428773/

3. Mmmm, bright lights and shiny things
John Kirriemuir http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversprite/4107217640/

4. Mmm, food...
Rubén díaz http://www.flickr.com/photos/incongruente/565351847

5. 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/

6. Birmingham digital conference top trended more than #sxsw

7. Speaking of #sxsw...

8. Social Media City
Lloyd Davis http://www.flickr.com/photos/lloyd-davis/3635492959/

9. 3D Birmingham in Second Life
Daden Media http://www.flickr.com/photos/dadenmedia/2984445431/

10. VIRTUAL WORLD USE
BY UK ACADEMICS

11. 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.

12. Meeting, exchanging information, using info services
Sheila Webber http://www.flickr.com/photos/23396182@N00/4259812586/

13. Learning about e-Learning (MSc graduation)
Fiona Littleton http://www.flickr.com/photos/flittleton/4150476530/

14. Training in dealing with medical situations
Kate Boardman http://www.flickr.com/photos/kattanhurnung/4115602444/

15. 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.

16. Tour of the testicle (difficult in real life)
Sheila Webber http://www.flickr.com/photos/23396182@N00/4383619832/

17. Make virtual stuff that (safely) does physical stuff
SGVW team, University of Ulster http://www.flickr.com/photos/33422226@N04/4381901772/

18. Mix up, integrate, access other digital content
Marf Shopmyer http://www.flickr.com/photos/marfita/4086703367/

19. SECOND LIFE: EMBRACE OR AVOID?
“It’s easy to use.” “It’s hard to use.”
“There’s loads of free stuff “Bloody expensive to get a
in there already.” decent chunk of land.”
“There’s lots of other “Academics I know have
academics in my subject been scared off it because
area using it.” of newspaper stories.”
“Been around for many “Every week a VW seems to
years, so looks solid.” fold; is Second Life next?”

20. Testing virtual worlds now gone e.g. Metaplace
Daniel Livingstone http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlivingstone/3386455574/

21. Testing other virtual worlds e.g. ReactionGrid
Annabeth Robinson http://www.flickr.com/photos/annamorphic/3977757074/

22. MAIN SUBJECT AREAS OF VW USE
Health and medicine. Art and fashion.
Nursing training. Legal training.
Midwifery. Theatre and drama.
Health and safety training. Computer science
programming.
Physics simulations e.g.
wind turbines. Crime scene training.
Information science theory. Languages, esp. Spanish.

23. PROBLEMO...

24. “What the hell is going on?”
Josie Anderton http://www.flickr.com/photos/21063388@N04/3990778136/

25. Everything you do online will kill you

26. 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

27. Chatroulette: pouring petrol on the sensationalist bonfire
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30003230@N00/4418074260/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/30003230@N00/4417307453/

28. Money and politics and expenditure and debt and money...
http://mydavidcameron.com/posters4/osborne2