[Air-L] Virtual University Collaboration October 27 and 28

[Helen Farley]

You are invited to participate in a first of a kind event, an in-world
mixture of conference, workshop and collaboration, to discuss, design,
build, operate and evaluate various virtual teaching and learning spaces for
the university environment of the twenty-first century!

This unique event will begin with an intensive two day in-world meeting that
will consist of a series of plenary talks, small group discussions and
report back sessions, workshops, tutorials, demonstrations and tours. Over
the following 4 weeks some of the main ideas and concepts for virtual
teaching, learning and meeting spaces developed by participants will be
constructed on the new virtual university island (with assistance from
professional SL builders). Then over the next 3 months participants will be
able to book and use these spaces for their own teaching and learning
sessions, role plays and meetings. During this time there will be informal
follow-up and evaluation meetings. Traditional conferences last a few days
and allow for ideas to be presented and for some follow-up discussion to
occur.

Standard workshops and tutorials often last a few hours or a day and while
they often demonstrate and talk about skills they don't usually allow from
much practice, testing or feedback on new ideas. We intend this new style of
collaborative event to take the best of these traditional formats and add in
the time and the facilities for extended collaboration which will see ideas
put into practice and at least some preliminary evaluations undertaken. We
plan to repeat the collaboration (ANZVUC2) in March 2012 with the idea
refining and extending the ideas and creations of first event.

The plan is to have the virtual university island(s) as an ongoing
collaborative and space to allow for construction and testing of
applications of virtual world technologies to university teaching and
learning. We welcome your ideas and suggestions for this and future events.

*When: 27 & 28 October 2011, 10am to 5pm Australian EST*

*Where: On a new Second Life island (slurl to be advised)*

*Who should attend:* Anyone interested in virtual learning environments and
how they might be used in any aspect of modern university life - teaching,
learning, research, administration, marketing, alumni relations etc.

The event is suitable for both experienced SL users and those new to virtual
world technologies. However we do ask that those new to Second Life spend
sufficient time prior event to master the basic skills to attend and
interaction in virtual world sessions. Advice on the minimum skill set
needed and on training sites can be provided.

For advanced users there will be an opportunity to build and/or work with
other participants and experienced SL builders who will be contacted to
provide support for the project. Everyone will be encouraged to network and
collaborate and a range of Web 2.0 tools will be set up to facilitate this.

*Registration:* The fee to participate is *AUD$325 (inc. GST)* and includes
the conference and related workshop, tutorial, demonstration and tour
session plus 3 months access to the constructed spaces. It is expected that
participants will have a SL avatar and have acquired at the least the basic
skills of interacting in a virtual environment. The event is limited to *50
participants*. We do expect the event to be fully subscribed so please
register early to secure your place.
*Check out our scoop.it page:
http://www.scoop.it/t/virtual-university-education-in-virtual-worlds/*
*
*
*Registration available at: http://adfi.usq.edu.au/encke.html*

-- 

Dr Helen Farley

Senior Lecturer and Mission Leader (Mobility)

*Australian Digital Futures Institute*

University of Southern Queensland Q 4350

Australia



*Ph:* +617 4631 1738 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +617 4631
1738      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

*Mob:* +401 878 880

*Email:* Helen.Farley at usq.edu.au

*Skype:* helenf5300

*Second Life:* Helen Frak

*The Australian Digital Futures Institute *explores hindsight and insight
and  enables foresight for the learning, teaching, research, knowledge
construction and creative expression. It acts as a harbinger for the
University of Southern Queensland, and through its global futures network
seeks to impact on viable and preferred futures for Queensland, Australia
and international partners. In 2011 to 12, its broad mission is to advance
knowledge and implementation of futures around the themes of *Openness,
Mobility and Digital Communities*.