1.
IMMERSIVE RESIDENCY
Sponsored by the Master of Arts in Learning & Emerging Technology program at SUNY Empire State
College
Contact Dr. Eileen O’Connor for details, on-boarding & access - eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
Join faculty and graduate students in this 1 day immersion in a virtual reality
environment to learn about AND experience existing and emerging technologies that are
allowing STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) enhanced by the A for art as well
as ALL CONTENT AREAS to reach new heights. You only need a computer and internet
to attend.
Saturday – Oct. 12, 2019 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (online)
Receive a Certificate of Attendance and an eBadge on completion

2.
BECOME AN AVATAR: AND, EXPLORE
VIRTUAL REALITY
Eileen O’Connor, PhD.
SUNY Empire State College – eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
Workshop – July 12, 2019– supportive slides
https://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/become-an-
avatar-open-source-development
https://www.esc.edu/graduate-studies/masters-degrees/education-
programs/ma-learning-emerging-technologies/
AGENDA:
Acquire avatar
Consider outfits
Play with building
Visit other locations

3.
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality
https://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/vr-aroverviewexplanations
VR
You become
part of the
environment
AR
3D media
overlays
environment

4.
HOW THE SETTING AND
ENVIRONMENT
INTERPLAY – SENSE OF
PLACE

5.
ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW
An island(s) - solo or within a larger hypergrid on a server
Viewer (Firestorm) –
to see
Avatar (you create
your own) –
to participate
VIRTUAL ISLANDS
- Open Source
- - Develop yourself or from
Creative Commons
- - Visited by avatars
LANDMARKS – FRIENDS

6.
BUILD YOUR WORLD – TO WHAT
PURPOSE?
BASIC SPACES:
• Meetings
• Conferences
• Classes
• Role playing
• Stories / narratives / games
• Shared activities
• What type of space is most amenable?
Friendly? Formal?
ADVANCED SPACES
• Simulations
• Impossible / dangerous
• Fantasy
• Multi-setting
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/design
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/adv-development - more
advanced development work

7.
ACQUIRE AVATAR & ENTER
• Need viewer – Firestorm installed
• Get avatar – www.kitely.com
• USE NAME YOU WANT & WILL
REMEMBER – SAVE PASSWORD (we
can not reset for you)
• Test speech / text chat & movement &
Snapshot
• Walk / fly
• Teleport by map (World Map)
• Find & photo – an imminent threat; a
dizzying experience; floating fun;
conference commons
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/startup
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/home - pirates’ peril

8.
REDEFINE AVATAR
• Gather in cabin area on Mariantest
• Gather notecard, join team & test:
• New outfits
• Change in private or be bold
• Avatar size and appearance
• Save versions – take Snapshots
• TO LEARN – explore & use ? (help)
• Avatar activities
• Appearance modifications – key
• Gestures too
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/avatar-change - basic
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/advanced-avatar - advanced avatar

9.
VIRTUAL IDENTITY?
Should an avatar:
• Look like you? Or, not?
• Does that matter?
Is an avatar important? . . . or, time
consuming?
What about?
• Age group
• Appropriateness
• Professional / personal
• Point of view vs. personification
Lots to study – lots to understand
From K12 to healthcare to education to therapy

10.
WAYS TO CREATE
AN ENVIRONMENT
What to do:
• View MARIANTEST Map
• Start in Basic Build or Repurpose
• Swap areas later, if desired
• Then practice / play in Your-build Area
• Take SNAPSHOTS GALORE of your avatar,
your creations & both – SEND favorites to
eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
• Premade space
• Gather Creative Commons artifacts,
buildings, pathway
• Repurpose / modify
• Make posters, media, website portals
• Design from scratch
• ALL OF THE ABOVE
Then find your guides & have
some fun – continue later

11.
EXPLORE OTHER SPACES – AND
PONDER
• Join a travel team; move to Mariantest
central house
• Visit with guides:
• The Hudson Line
• Australia
• Space
• Empire Learning Design
• Video Production
• Shadowglen
• Microknowledge
• Return for ideas and debriefing
https://sites.google.com/view/vrmarian/other-locations
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_4IlstMWAE64WWqM_j8VpZ3j
BwrRkGcK9AsFuegOB8M/present?slide=id.p – Kitely featured

12.
YOUR IDEAS?
• How is immersive different from
webinar & other virtual?
• Where can immersive VR play in online
or blended experiences? In virtual
classroom spaces?
• What role could a shared space and a
virtual identity play in your future?
• What Can an Avatar Do? Any Virtual
Thing You Design
• Continue to grow
• On our own
• Masters courses in MALET at ESC -
OpenSUNY – as applicant or non-
matric https://www.esc.edu/graduate-studies/masters-
degrees/education-programs/ma-learning-emerging-
technologies/