Friday, June 14, 2019

2019 #VWEDU: BIZ: We can bring schools into OpenSim. Not just people. Whole campuses full of people.


We can bring schools into OpenSim.  
Not just people.  
Whole campuses full of people.

OpenSim and web-worlds can support virtual campuses online. Such a campus would be managed by the school.  The OpenSim or web-world "grid"would only provide hosting.
Writers meet to share their work

Yes, there is research

Bringing in a campus is not like bringing in people

  • For openers,a school would bring in students by the hundreds.  
  • If the school found the arrangement useful, it could bring in thousands.
  • But bringing in students requires special arrangements: 
  • Batch registration. A specialized viewerA private grid.
  • You need a private grid to separate your school from adult activities

Marketing to schools is not marketing to people.  

  • Schools have special needs.  But those needs are similar across schools.
  • Thus meeting the needs of schools could be profitable.

An online campus is not an online class

  • A physical campus is not just for holding classes.
  • Students meet outside of class for collaboration, socializing, etc.
  • I won't expand on the etc. but the other things can have major educational value.

No, you don't need that thing over your eyes

  • Those are expensive.  You just need a computer screen.
  • You get a picture you can walk through and look around in. 
  • It is much like the sense of 3D you get in a movie.
  • Where they also don't wear things over their eyes.   
***********************

Author's note

  • I know from informal conversations that there are virtual schools in development.
  • I would like cite references, but these are not yet available.  
  • I am hopeful that some reports will come out in the next few months.
  • Meanwhile I an here reporting on what a MUVE-based campus would need.
  • And on infrastructure developments aimed at meeting those needs.

Needs for bringing students into a MUVE

Batch registration

A specialized viewer


A grid managed by the school

Onboarding the student: the basics for students.

  • Log on and off
  • Move the avatar locally: walk, fly
  • Use view control:  Zoom, cam around
  • Interact with things: Sit, stand, activate (click or hover)
  • Interact with people:  Identify, find, friend 
  • Communicate: Typed chat, voice, IM
  • Find and go to where they need to go.
  • A custom viewer would come with the needed settings. 
  • So the beginning student need not learn to manage settings.

Contact links for educators in virtual worlds

*********************************************************

Visit me on the web

************************

License

  • Original text in this blog is CC By: unless specified public domain
  • Use as you please with attribution: link to the original.
  • All images without attribution in this blog are CC0: public domain.
  • Second LifeLindenSLurl, and SL are trademarks of Linden Research Inc.
  • Annotated screenshots made with Jing
  • This blog is not affiliated with anything.   Ads are from Google.
  • Selby Evans in Kitely and hypergrid, Thinkerer Melville in Second Life.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.