2020 PEOPLE: Manage discord notifications to get noticies of events you may want to know about and to avoid notices you don't want to see.

Manage discord notifications to get notices 
of events you may want to know about  and 
to avoid notices you don't want to see.

Discord can supply some of the community services the virtual worlders are accustomed to using in virtual worlds, while remaining independent of any particular grid.  Thus it can contribute to the shift from grid-oriented organization to community organization.   Here is how to set the Discord notification system to suit you.

• Watch on YouTube
• Hypergridders: Let's think outworld groups to augment inworld groups: Discord, Disboard

• Update 3/26/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #DTA: Instructions are part of the product. They can make the product easy or hard to use. A critical issue for education, where there are always new students using those instructions

Instructions are part of the product.  
They can make the product easy or hard to use. 
A critical issue for education:
If the instructions don't work, the teachers do.

Recommendations on how to design instructions so they help market the product.    Not just to hobbyists, but to educators and businesses.

We can meet in a virtual world

• Even if we are in quarantine or shelter-in-place
• No travel costs.  No travel time.
• But you gotta know the territory.

Designing the instructions

• Yes, you don't just write them.  You design them for the users' needs.
• Design thinking; User-centered design (UCD).   
• You must be designing the product for the customers' needs. 
• Surely you want the instructions to show how the product meets those needs. 
• That's what Marketing needs to sell the product to educators and businesses.
• And the instructions should be part of the product design:
• It is easier to fix the software than to fix the instructions.

My rating steps

• Intuitive: Label and floating text are adequate.
• Easy: One sentence in the quick start guide is adequate.
• Hard:  More than one sentence is needed.
• You lose customers as you go up those steps

• Update 3/26/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 WW: Music: 3DWebWorldz: How to join a live music event in 3DWW. On the web, in your browser. Come in as a guest (pick an avatar, give a nickname). Or register (free).

How to join a live music event in 3DWW.  

On the web, in your browser. 

Come in as a guest (pick an avatar and nickname). 

Or register (free).

A video tutorial on how to come to live stream concerts in 3DWebWorldz using only your browser. And help on how to join the conversation in text chat.  Yeah, we digitals talk all the time.

• Watch on YouTube
• Go here: Live Music portal
• The screen has a chat panel (lower a left) so we can type to each other.
• And, more support for chatting:
• Just what we always wanted for chat in 3D scenes. Get that flat text window out of your 3D scenes.
• Simplified screen controls for new people, especially guests.
• Learning 3DWebWorldz – Step By Step QuickStart
• 3DWebWorldz.com - Supporting Art, Music and More
• Dual streaming to Open Sim and 3DWebWorldz
• Live music on the web

• Update 3/26/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #VWEDU: OSCC19 TAKING STOCK OF PROVEN AND NEW EDUCATIONAL SIMULATION USE CASES

OSCC19 TAKING STOCK OF PROVEN AND NEW 
EDUCATIONAL SIMULATION USE CASES

New uses for OpenSimulator learning simulations (including examples of VR-ready simulations) as well as examples of proven in-world and out-of-world educational simulations. The reasons for the staying power of selected simulations and challenges to the wider use of OpenSimulator learning simulations are discussed.

• Watch YouTube
• OSCC videos are up
• VidReader

• Update 3/26/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 BIZ: #VWEDU: Virtual web-worlds are close to serving as virtual offices. Two web-worlds are matched against requirements set by a well known commentator on Virtual Worlds.

Virtual web-worlds are close to serving as offices.  
Two web-worlds are matched against requirements 
set by a well known commentator on Virtual Worlds.

These web-worlds easily meet most of the requirements for virtual offices.

Click image to enlarge

• Here I am in my web office/conference room.
• Behind me is my Google Docs poster.
• I am in a browser page--nothing installed.
• Do I look like a gamer?

Virtual worlds as virtual offices?

• That is the question pondered in an article by Wagner James Au:
• What Virtual Worlds Need To Become Real World Offices, Post-Coronavirus
• That question is highly relevant in these days of physical distancing.
• The article lists seven hurdles for virtual worlds to be accepted as offices.
• Here I show how web-worlds measure up.  

Two web-worlds available as online offices

• Web-worlds are virtual worlds that run in a browser.
• Nothing to install--you just go to the web page and (virtually) walk in. 
• Here are links to two of them:
• CybaLOUNGE
• 3DWebWorldz 
• Try them out--you can enter as a guest without registering.  
• Chat with me weekdays: 12:-12:30 pm Central time (US)
• Web-worlds, 3D virtual worlds running in a browser. Summary

• Update 3/26/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #VWEDU: BIZ:A list of features needed in virtual worlds to support remote collaboration and distance learning

Virtual worlds: a collection of features 
supporting remote collaboration 
and distance learning

A preliminary list of features that might be wanted in a virtual world designed to support remote collaboration and distance learning.  Suggestions for additional items are invited. This article is licensed CC0, public domain.

ACRL Virtual World interest group

• "The next killer app is people."

Objective

• Identify virtual world features needed for remote collaboration and distance learning.
• Current virtual worlds can be assessed in terms of the feature list.
• Feature list to be used for guiding future development. 
• Feature list to be used to guide defaults and adequacy of instructions,

Main categories

• Cost per month per square kilometer
• Public affiliation
• Security
• Voice
• Contacts
• Web access
• Text communication
• Avatar
• Document share
• Facilities
• "World" services
• Opinion gatherer
• Image capture
• Video capture
• Outworld reach
• Features possibly desired

• update 3/19/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #VWEDU: VWBPE 2020: Exhibits (1) A conference the easy way 30 seconds to anywhere in virtual worlds

VWBPE 2020: Exhibits (1): A conference the easy way
30 seconds to anywhere in virtual worlds

Picture reports on some of the exhibits by sponsors and exhibitors at VWBPE2020. 

• VWBPE: Stellar
• March 26-28, 2020
• * Play * Explore * Engage * Immerse * Learn *
• VWBPE conference schedule
• No COVID-19 exposure
• In the HUD, be sure to look for the Sponsors exhibits.

• update 3/19/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #WVEDU: A campus on the internet. A front office on the web. A school on a laptop

A campus on the internet
A front office on the web  
A school on a laptop 
Updated 4/5/2020

A collection of articles showing how OpenSimulator  and web-world technology can support virtual campuses on the internet.

The Empty Classroom

Virus control

Education on the internet

• No pandemics
• Block the bullies; the school has complete access control
• No travel cost, no travel time, everyone travels the internet.
• Work at home, but not alone.
• No buildings, no maintenance; the money goes for education.
• Not wishful thinking--the tech is already there.  
• And some educators are already there.  
• And a few schools are already there.
• Education in virtual worlds
• Can you put a high school next to a porno place? Not even in a virtual world. But there are solutions
• Virtual worlds can serve many markets but need the right product for each market. Use case: Public-facing place: office,sales floors marketing exposition

2019 #VWEDU: #DTA: The fake news challenge: a natural for educational games.

The Fake news challenge:  
a natural for educational games.

A plan for creating an instructional unit to practice students in recognizing fake news.  This article is licensed CC0 -- Public Domain.

No computers?

Can you find fake news without a computer?

• Educational objective: teach students to recognize Fake News.

Instructional objectives

• Learner will be able, with high accuracy, to distinguish instances of fake news from legitimate reports.
• Learner will be able to point out the clues that support the distinction.

• update 3/19/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020. VWBPE conference is immune to COVID-19 VWBPE Immersive events started March 15

2020 #VWEDU: #DTA: Virtual reality is not new and it is not expensive. The new and expensive: stereoscopic (VR) headsets. They may be good for first person games. What will they do for user-built virtual worlds?

Virtual reality is not new and it is not expensive. 
The new and expensive: stereoscopic (VR) headsets.
They may be good for first person games.  
What will they do for user-built virtual worlds?

Virtual reality has been available on computers for a long time.  Stereo viewing equipment has been around for well over a hundred years.   Stereo headsets, in place of monocular monitors, are a recent development.  Here I consider whether I would have any activity that would benefit from a stereo view.   

• Watch on YouTube
• A monocular view of comedy in a virtual world
• Would it be better in stereo?

What is VR?

• VR is a term applied to stereoscopic (VR) headsets headsets for computer games. 
• Stereoscopic viewing equipment has been around since 1838: Stereoscope. 
• Stereoscopy has been widely tested for entertainment use throughout the last century.
• 3D movies have been produced since 1915.
• Virtual reality produced by computers has been around as a concept since 1959.
• A computer produces virtual reality by keeping track of the shapes and locations of 3D objects in a scene.
• It displays the 3D scene on a screen by computing what the scene would look like from a specific position.
• With stereo headsets, it computes for 2 screens positioned apart like eyes.
• The headset displays one screen to each eye, thus producing Binocular vision.
• Binocular vision is strikingly realistic for nearby objects, especially those in arms length.
• It is less relevant at longer distances, because the image differences get smaller.
• And because more monocular cues become available.

What would stereo viewers do for user-built virtual worlds?

• After the break
• update 3/13/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #DTA: #VWEDU: The learning economy. Where you practice life skills: earning, buying, budgeting. How is that taught in school?

The learning economy.  
Where you practice life skills: 
earning, buying, budgeting.   
How is that taught in school? 

A plan for letting students learn economic skills in schools in virtual (simulated) worlds.  A  simulated environment can offer a safe environment designed to simulate the consumer side of economic life.   This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).

Consumer economic skills

• How could you practice economic skills in school?
• You create a play world with the things you want to teach built in.
• That would have taken a lot of work in the old days.
• But now we have ready-made simulated worlds already available.
• Yes--simulated and virtual are just big names for play worlds.
• Many virtual worlds have simulated economic activities.
• And the cost per user is so small that they often let people in for free.
• These worlds are not suited for students as the normally operate.
• But they can be duplicated to give a school complete access control.
• And a school can design a life simulation to suit its educational goals.
• This article presents preliminary ideas about using that as a serious game.
• Use-targeted learning plan for schools in digital worlds. Learners can pick the skills they need for the uses they intend. Gamified as a model

• update 3/13/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #VWEDU: Symbolic Modeling (SymMod): a discovery and learning approach. A training course in a virtual world

Symbolic Modeling (SymMod): 
a discovery and learning approach.  
A training course in a virtual world 

Symbolic Modeling (SymMod) is a discovery and learning approach developed by therapist Marly Milena in Second Life (Niela Miller in her physical life), and is grounded in Gestalt Psychology. This video explains Symbolic Modeling, explains how the approach is valuable and customizable for any field, and provides information about a SymMod Facilitator training course offered by Marly in Second Life.

• Watch on YouTube
• Distantly related

Related

• Introduction to the Creative Process and Symbolic Modeling
• Symbolic Modeling: Gestalt and Field Theory
• A Taste of SymMod Training
• Octagon Cinema Grove in Second Life
• Niela Miller's website
• Using Arts Processes for Learning in Second Life
• ONE-OF-A-KIND TRAINING IN SECOND LIFE--Marly Milena
• Symbolic Modeling Training in Second Life: by Marly Milena, Octagon:Creative Exploration

• update 3/13/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #VWEDU: LANG: OSCC19 GUINEVERE - LEARN A LANGUAGE THROUGH GAMES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS

OSCC19 GUINEVERE - 
LEARN A LANGUAGE THROUGH GAMES 
IN VIRTUAL WORLDS

Final project results on project GUINEVERE (Games Used IN Engaging Virtual Environments for Real-time language Education) are reported.

• Watch on YouTube
• Guinevere deliverables

The 2 year EU funded project GUINEVERE has come to a close and the final project results are being presented. There are quite a few deliverables in the form of studies on the theory of game design/ gamification and best practice guidelines for teachers.  

The GUINEVERE server in OpenSim has been the sandbox for the teacher training and several games have been created which are stunning in variety and building and scripting skills. A mobile app has been developed to use imagery from virtual worlds to create interactive stories by language teachers. 

GUINEVERE stands for “Games Used IN Engaging Virtual Environments for Real-time language Education.” The project is coordinated by the University of Central Lancashire in the UK together with the University of Istanbul in Turkey, let’s talk online in Belgium, 3DLS in the Netherlands and Italian University Line in Italy.

• update 3/13/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #VWEDU: VWBPE 2020: Immersive Experiences. Educational experiences across the metaverse.

 
VWBPE 2020: Immersive Experiences. 
Educational experiences across the metaverse.

List of immersive experiences for VWBPE 2020 starting March 15.

VWBPE exhibits space

Not your father's conference hall

• VWBPE: Stellar
• March 26-28, 2020
• * Play * Explore * Engage * Immerse * Learn *
• VWBPE conference schedule

VWBPE 2020: Immersive Experiences

• Travel is easy in virtual worlds
• The 2020 VWBPE Immersive Experiences show unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. 
• Come play a game, solve a problem, and engage in hands-on learning with virtual world education leaders. 
• No sign up, simply come and learn!
• The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 15 to April 06 (except for the conference dates).  
• Details and access instructions  are in the VWBPE conference schedule 

2020 #VWEDU: #EDU: No quarantine online. Groups can meet in web-worlds with no preparation. Talk, exchange ideas, exchange documents. Exchange almost anything but germs.

No quarantine online.  
Groups can meet in web-worlds with no preparation. 
Talk, exchange ideas, exchange documents. 
Exchange almost anything but germs

School closings, event cancellations, and quarantines point to one of the benefits of online classes, conferences, and work: No contagions.  And no facilities.  Not much of anything but education.

Web-worlds for classes 

• COVID-19
• University of Washington closing classrooms due to coronavirus
• They are going entirely to online classes. 
• They may be using web-worlds that run in a browser. 
• No preparation needed if all they do is talk and give out web links
• There are already free classrooms where people can do that.
• Free?  Sure--you don't  have to register.  Log in as a guest.
• Regular classes would probably want more than this, but it is good for a test.
• Below:
• Viewpoints: Professor, student, management
• 3D web-worlds. I am usually in both at my lunch time (12 pm Central)
• See below for details.  Drop in for a chat.

• update 3/5/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #DTA: DTA as Chatbot. Preliminary plans for providing focused information for visitors, with quiz games for added interest.

DTA as Chatbot.  
Preliminary plans for providing 
focused information for visitors, 
with quiz games for added interest. 

Preliminary plans for developing interactive and informative chatbots for use by nonprofit organizations in virtual worlds.

Campbell Hero Walk
at Nonprofit Commons

• Goal: Provide nonprofits in virtual worlds with support for interactive and informative chatbots.

Background

• Nonprofit Commons (NPC) provides space for nonprofits to put exhibits in a virtual world.
• NPC is considering an idea to provide a chatbot for these nonprofits to tell their story in interactive and game modes.   
• This article provides a preliminary plan for such a chatbot.  
• Chatbot Fundamentals
• The Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) for MUVES (virtual worlds): Summary
• The learning game and the conquest of the Lims. The generic education game. What can the Digital Teaching Assistant manage?

• update 3/5/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 ART: #VWEDU: Nuna art gallery in OpenSim, 3rd rock grid. Art and education in virtual worlds (Part 2)

Nuna art gallery in OpenSim, 3rd rock grid.  
Art and education in virtual worlds (Part 2)

An extensive and well-curated art museum in OpenSim, organized to fit art education and with informative content nearby. This article deals with exhibits and themes.

The Nuna Gallery

• Nuna Virtual Art Gallery
• Facebook connection
• How the Nuna Gallery came to be

Go there

• Hypergrid address:
• grid.3rdrockgrid.com:8002:The Nuna Gallery
• Firestorm hop 
• hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/The Nuna Gallery/375/459/141
• Travel tips for the Hypergrid. A DTA content page
• Ingrid (within a grid) Travel tips for OpenSimulator . A DTA content page

• update 3/5/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 IMA: VW: IMA seeks help on project converting thousands of public domain motion capture animations for use in OpenSim.

IMA seeks help on project 
converting thousands of 
public domain motion capture animations 
for use in OpenSim.

In virtual worlds, you dance with an animation. IMA has thousands of public domain motion capture animations that could benefit OpenSim if they were converted to SL internal animation format.   IMA needs an experienced animator to develop a conversion procedure. 

Gentlefur

• Watch on YouTube
• Gotta Dance! Dancing in the virtual worlds
• Digital animation (search)
• Computer animation (Wikipedia)

Nutshell

• IMA has thousands of public domain motion capture animations.
• These could benefit OpenSim users if they were in the right format
• That's  SL internal animation format.   
• IMA (Infinite Metaverse Alliance) seeks offer them to the OpenSim Community.
• IMA needs an experienced animator to develop a conversion procedure.
• And volunteers to execute the procedure on the animation files.
• If you would like to participate, please contact Shelenn.Ayres@gmail.com
• SceneGate OpenSim viewer with beginner and extended modes. Summary

• update 3/5/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 ART: Role-play Sierra Sonnet, Western ghost town

Sierra Sonnet, 
Western ghost town

Venture back in time to a place where tumbleweeds dotted the rugged terrain. Wagon wheel - worn roads, saloons, mercantile, sheriff's jail, and barn.   The town is abandoned, a ghost town.   RP is encouraged here.   Freebies in the mercantile.

Arrival point

Go there

• Web page
• Firestorm Hop:
• hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Sierra Sonnet/236/395/28
• HG address:
• grid.kitely.com:8002:Sierra Sonnet
• Travel tips for the Hypergrid. A DTA content page
• Ingrid (within a grid) Travel tips for OpenSimulator . A DTA content page
• At the arrival point, click the TP button marked "abandoned"
• Or use this Firestorm Hop:
• hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Sierra Sonnet/118/147/2998

• update 3/5/2020 VWBPE 13th Annual Conference, March 26-28 2020 VWBPE Immersive events start March 15 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows.

2020 #VWEDU: Euroversity asks: Christel Schneider answers: Why do you use virtual worlds in education?

Euroversity asks: 
Christel Schneider answers: 
Why do you use virtual worlds in education?

A video of remarks by Christel Schneider about her use of immersive worlds in education.

• Watch on YouTube

The questions

• Christel Schneider responds to the following questions:
• 1. Why do you use virtual worlds?
• 2. How do you use virtual worlds in your context?
• 3. Why did you get involved in the Euroversity network?
• 4. How has the Euroversity network supported you and your work?
• How might the network support you in the future?
• 5. What three things would you say to someone who is thinking of using virtual worlds in an educational context?

Some reasons

• No travel cost--class on your laptop.
• No travel time--get there in 30 seconds.
• No sharing of germs--sick students can come to class.
• No facilities cost--all the money goes for education.
• But social interaction is still there--students can work together.

• update 2/27/2020 IMA SceneGate Viewer Release 1.0.0 for Linux and Windows. Kitely updates to OpenSim 9.1.1 OpenSim stats decline reversed this month

2020 WW: 3DWebWorldz: A 3d place in your browser. As easy as going to a web page because it is a web page. Live music, writers, videos, meetings, comedy.

3DWebWorldz:  A 3d place in your browser. 
As easy as going to a web page 
because it is a web page.  
Live music, writers, videos, meetings, comedy,?? 
Updated 8/16/2020

Starting instructions for visiting 3DWebWorldz.  No need to register, enter as a guest.  Explore all you want. You only need to register if you want the system to remember you.  

Beginner buttons for 3DWW

Click image to enlarge

• 3DWebWorldz.com QUICKSTART
• You can enter 3DWebWorldz as a guest.
• Starting in 3DWW: Simplified screen controls for new people, especially guests
• Euroversity asks: Christel Schneider answers: Why do you use virtual worlds in education?

Key terms

• Search here: 3DWebWorldz.com QUICKSTART
• Begin, cursor, escape key
• View: cameras
• Interact, red circle
• Move, arrow key, mouse
• Communicate: local chat, Voice
• Main controls: bottom bar
• Social media and info: side bar
• Search on page: Ctrl f, type in the search bar near top of page