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[Above] Learn About Virtual Learning Simulations at OSCC20, December 5-6, 2020 The 2020 OpenSimulator Community Conference will be held in the OpenSimulator Community Conference Grid (or OSCC Grid) virtual world AND streamed live (@ https://gaming.youtube.com/c/AvaconOrg/live) on December 5th and 6th. To learn how to register for the [no cost] event and how to virtually attend the event, follow the step-by-step guide below. Note:  Even if you have never been in a virtual world, attending the OSCC event is "newbie-friendly" and will enable you to gain first-hand experience navigating within a virtual space as well as will introduce you numerous examples of how virtual world simulations are used in education.  A Few Highlights from the Upcoming OSCC20 Program If you still need to be convinced to attend the OSCC20 event, here are just a few of the highlights from the upcoming conference program (@ https://conference.opensimulator.org/schedule)… OpenSimulator Educator Meet-Up & Swap (Kay McLennan) - Newbie educators as well as seasoned OpenSimulator educators are welcome — to swap experiences creating and using the OpenSimulator platform for learning simulations. Also, if relevant, seasoned OpenSimulator educators are encouraged to bring along any tutorial materials and/or teaching content you want to share with colleagues. Hybrid Tech "How Do I Reach Thee... Let Me Count the Ways..." (Andrew Sullivan, James Neville, and Renne Brock) - Learn how college students from Montana State University Billings and Peninsula College Washington State were brought together by their instructors, online, in an authentic industry modeling scenario in-world.  In the Swim:  Using OpenSim to Take a Dip Into History (Graham Mills) - Presentation looks at the history of swimming places in and along the River Mersey in the north-west of England (within a virtual world re-creation). Staging Effective Graduate School Residencies in OpenSim VR (Scott Dolphin) - Learn how  SUNY Empire State College School of Graduate Studies has hosted half-day residency events in Opensim virtual reality as a means to introduce new students to the graduate programs to their peers, the faculty, and a broad range of interactive, immersive, collaborative technologies. SOS:  An Educator's Plea [for Expanded Virtual World Capabilities] (Eileen O'Connor) – Presentation will highlight some basic best practices that have emerged over 15 years of bringing higher education students into VR environments. Then, areas where additional support and community could help stand-alone educators will be discussed. Renewed & New [Pandemic-Related] Interest in Virtual Learning Simulations (Kay McLennan) – Session will detail the results of a recent survey of educators. Spoiler alert — most of the educators surveyed plan to expand their use of virtual world learning simulations during the 2020-2021 academic year. Dystopia Rising:  How Emergency Education Opens the Portal to the Metaverse (Chris Luchs and Kae Novak) - Panel discussion on how to showcase your worlds and once again open the portal to the creative, educational, technical, and experiential metaverse. Connecting During COVID:  Unlocking a High School Prom in OpenSim (Randall Deich and Tanya Martin) – Learn how high school students participated and benefited from a virtual prom on Avacon Grid and how a group of educators, in multiple remote geographic locations, volunteered their time and skills to make it happen. Developing and Evaluating Virtual Reality Simulations in Resource-Scarce Settings (Rachel Umoren) - Presentation summarizes the lessons learned in development and feasibility testing of VR simulations among healthcare workers in a resource-scarce setting. Again, see the complete conference program @ https://conference.opensimulator.org/schedule. How to Register for the OpenSimulator Community Conference Register for the OSCC20 event on the web site @ https://conference.opensimulator.org/register.  Note: While the conference will be hypergrid-enabled, please be sure to request an OSCC Grid avatar. That is, when trying to login (at the same time a lot of other attendees are trying to login), it is easier to gain access to the grid through a “native” avatar. Also, if you prefer to not use your real name when you register, you can always use a nom de plume (for your avatar’s name)! How to Download & Set-Up the Needed Viewer The Firestorm 64bit Viewer is recommended to access the OSCC Grid (with the download page for the Firestorm viewer at http://www.firestormviewer.org/downloads). More specifically, first choose your operating system (see below). Next, after the Firestorm Viewer is installed on your computer, you need to load the OSCC Grid into the viewer. To load the OSCC Grid, click on the “Viewer” drop down menu in the upper left-hand corner of the viewer. Next, click on “Preferences” and “OpenSim” (items #1 in the image below). Next, enter the URI for the OSCC Grid (http://cc.opensimulator.org:8002 = item #2 in the image below). Finally, click on “Apply” (item #3 in the image below) and “OK” (item #4 in the image below). Next (after you receive your OSCC Grid login information), to login to the OSCC Grid, enter your avatar’s name (#1 in the image below), password (#2 in the image below), make sure “OpenSim Community Conference” is the grid selected (#3 in the image below), and click on the “Log In” button (#4 in the image below). How to Navigate around the OSCC Grid Virtual World After you login to the OSCC Grid, your avatar will be on one of the four Landing Zone islands (see the image below).  While you are on one of the Landing Zone islands, use your keyboard arrow keys to practice “walking” your avatar around (see the directions in the image below). Next, activate your movement control and camera control panels by clicking on each in the “Avatar” drop down menu in your Firestorm Viewer (see the image below). Next, to teleport your avatar to the OSCC Keynote region, click on map icon located in the menu located in the lower band of your viewer (#1 in the image below), locate OSCC Keynote (in the scroll-able map – #2 in the image below – OR “Find” text box -- #3 in the image below), and click on the “Teleport” button (#4 in the image below). Note: To better spread out the load of multiple avatars logging into the region at the same time, conference attendees are assigned to one of the four landing zones and their OSCC Keynote region access matches their landing zone access. For example, if you are assigned Landing Zone 4 you need to click on OSCC Keynote 4 in the map OR type OSCC Keynote 4 in the “Find” text box. After you arrive at the Keynote region, immediately right click on one of the chairs and click on “Sit Here” to seat your avatar in the chair. [Immediately seating your avatar minimizes the lag on the region (so more avatars can enter the region in time for the start of the event). Further, it is ALWAYS a good idea to arrive at a virtual world event venue EARLY. In contrast, waiting for the last minute to login often means you will miss five or ten minutes of the presentation (as you await your chance/turn to login).] After your avatar is seated in the audience at the Keynote auditorium, the script in the chair your avatar is sitting in will automatically focus your view on the stage and the presentation screen. To pan around the auditorium, click on the ESC button on your keyboard and use your camera controls to change the angle on your viewer. Also, click on the chat button in the menu located in the lower band of your viewer – so the “Local [typed] Chat” will be visible and so you will be able to read any additional instructions from the conference organizers. Note: Do not hesitate to login to the OSCC Grid in advance of the event – to gain additional experience navigating around a virtual world grid. Further, if you do login to the grid, you can tour the OSCC Shopping Zone (see the image below). Finally, prior to the start of the event, you will need to double-check to make sure your computer speaker (or headset) is turned on and set at the right volume. ... View more

I wrote an open letter in the Hypergrid Business e-magazine in February 2017 -- about the need for an OpenSimulator (virtual learning simulation) viewer that can be integrated into Canvas.  My goal is for my students' avatars to be able to "walk off" any page in my Canvas course site -- into the Tulane SoPA Metaverse [private OpenSimulator platform] grid -- to tour course-relevant simulations and hold real-time voice-enabled discussions.  Fast-forwarding to the present, there has been no progress (that I know about) in the development of a virtual viewer that can be integrated into Canvas.  Still, my university has virtualized an OpenSimulator viewer (using VMware) and a VR-ready viewer is now available.  In turn, I am convinced my goal (re: a Canvas-ready virtual simulation viewer) can be achieved... If you are similarly interested in virtual learning simulations, registration for the [free, virtual attendance] OpenSimulator Community Conference is now open.  Hope to see you in-world at the upcoming, December 14-15, 2019 OpenSimulator Community Conference. ... View more

     Registration is now open for the Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mainstreaming-virtual-world-learning-colloquium-registration-52512254567.  The Colloquium is a free event -- on December 1, 2018 (9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Time) -- in the AvaCon Grid Quaternary Stadium (as well as a community event affiliated with the upcoming Open Simulator Community Conference). Still, seating is limited – so reserve your space now!  Featured speakers at the Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium include: Joyce Bettencourt (Nonprofit Commons); Cynthia Calongne (Colorado Technical University); Valerie Hill (Community Virtual Library Database); Crista Lopez (University of California-Irvine); Kay McLennan (Tulane University); Eileen O’Connor (SUNY Empire State College); Andrew Stricker (Air University); Barbara Truman (University of Central Florida); and Rachel Umoren (University of Washington).      Learning simulations created in an Open Simulator virtual world are an excellent choice for educators as well as have immediate (and to be developed) uses within a Canvas course site.  Virtual world simulations are highly immersive, inexpensive (in comparison to commercially available platforms), infinitely customizable, easily duplicated/saved for new uses/re-uses, and FERPA-compliant (when a grid is closed to external visitors).  Also, while a single sign-in to an Open Simulator virtual world through a Canvas course site is not yet available, there are numerous ways to embed virtual world simulation content directly into a Canvas course site.  For example, instructors can use virtual world learning simulations to: Create screen capture video clips of case study dramatizations created within a virtual simulation; Create stationary image or 360 video scenes with embedded hotspots; Capture unique [screen capture] images to illustrate course content; and [When students are given the option to participate in virtual discussions and/or tours of course-related learning simulations...] Transmit information about the optional virtual world discussions/tours through discussion forum communications and/or content pages.       On the topic of the future integration of the virtual world viewer into Canvas, Tulane University successfully used virtual machine software to virtualize the viewer needed to access an Open Simulator virtual world (and accordingly, eliminated the "insufficient computing power" barrier that previously limited student participation in virtual world discussions/tours).  Still, educator/Canvas community help is needed to realize the option of the complete integration of an Open Simulator virtual world viewer into a Canvas course site page.       Again, registration is now open for the Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium @ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mainstreaming-virtual-world-learning-colloquium-registration-52512254567.  The Colloquium is a free event -- on December 1, 2018 (9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Time) -- in the AvaCon Grid Quaternary Stadium (as well as a community event affiliated with the upcoming Open Simulator Community Conference). Still, seating is limited – so reserve your space now! ... View more

Click on the title of the different educator* presentations (below) to watch the recordings of these sessions at the OpenSimulator Community Conference 2017 (held in the OSCC grid [virtual world] on December 9-10, 2017). See the entire list of [the selected] available recorded presentations from the OSCC17 event on the AvaCon Channel in YouTube. The Liverpool & Manchester Railway circa 1830 (Graham Mills) - Presentation detailed how (in the absence of a photographic record of the railway) OpenSim is being used to model parts of the railway and adjacent areas. 40 Virtual Cities Online (Christer Lindstrom) - Described how public and private stakeholders are working together – using the OpenSimulator platform – to visualize, simulate, and plan future urban landscapes. Case Study Simulations for In- and Out-of-World Use (Kay McLennan) - Presented research findings on different types of case study virtual world learning simulations. Also, the presentation included "how to" information (re: how to create case study simulations with NPCs and chatbots in an OpenSimulator grid). Bringing Literature to Life in OpenSim (Mary Howard and Andrew Wheelock) – Detailed how the Understanding the Holocaust Project (that correlates with the Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank) and the Westing Mansion Project (that correlates with the fictional story The Westing Game) are being used to teach literature in OpenSim. Developing Usable Prototypes for Serious Games in OpenSim (Rachel Umoren and Evalyn Gossett) - An overview of the development process for serious games, including prototyping, usability testing, and more. Virtual Worlds Database (Alyse Dunavant-Jones, Valerie Hill, and Marie Vans) – Introduced the OpenSim community to how the Virtual Worlds Database is being use to promote the best educational content virtual worlds have to offer, including the Digital Citizenship Museum. ___________ * Educators have been using virtual world learning simulations for real time discussions, "walk around in" 3D models, learning games, etc. [OpenSimulator-based virtual worlds] for more than a decade.  Fast forwarding to the present day, educators need an external tool (API) of the viewer needed to access an OpenSim virtual world that can be integrated in Canvas! ... View more

Last February I posted an item on the Higher Education group discussion board (see Integrating a 3D Virtual World Viewer Into Canvas).  As further follow-up to this post, I wanted to focus the [Canvas] community's attention on an upcoming virtual event -- see the blog post Opportunity to Learn About Virtual World Use in Education.  3D virtual world platforms like the OpenSimulator platform provide an inexpensive and effective way for faculty and institutions to stage engaging educational simulations.  Still, the ability of educators/institutions to optimize their use of OpenSimulator-based learning simulations is limited by the lack of a viewer (like the Firestorm and Singularity viewers) that can be integrated into Canvas (as an external app). ... View more

The 2017 OpenSimulator Community Conference will be held in the OpenSimulator Community Conference Grid (or OSCC Grid) virtual world AND streamed live (@ https://gaming.youtube.com/c/AvaconOrg/live) on December 9th and 10th. In turn, even if you have never been in a virtual world, attending the OSCC event will enable you to gain first-hand experience attending a virtual world event as well as will introduce you numerous examples of how virtual world simulations are used in education. To learn more about how to register for the [no cost] event and move around within the conference grid, follow the step-by-step guide below. A Few Highlights from the OSCC Program If you still need to be convinced virtual world simulations and events are beneficial to educators, here are just a few of the highlights from the upcoming OSCC program (at http://conference.opensimulator.org/2017/program)… The Liverpool & Manchester Railway circa 1830 (Graham Mills) - Presentation will detail how (in the absence of a photographic record of the railway) OpenSim is being used to model parts of the railway and adjacent areas. 40 Virtual Cities Online (Christer Lindstrom) - Learn how public and private stakeholders are working together – using the OpenSimulator platform – to visualize, simulate, and plan future urban landscapes. Spanish Language Learning (Martha Eugenia Lino and James Abraham) - Presentation will detail how students interact with learning objects and chatbots while strolling through a plaza or pyramid (to practice their Spanish language skills). Case Study Simulations for In- and Out-of-World Use (Kay McLennan) - Learn how to create case study simulations (with NPC and chatbots) in an OpenSimulator grid and how the same simulations can be used for in-world tours and out-of-world instructional materials. SLurtles Research (Carina Girvan) – Presentation profiles the research conducted on [the constructionist learning possible through] the use of shareable artifacts in virtual world learning simulations. Bringing Literature to Life in OpenSim (Mary Howard and Andrew Wheelock) – A discussion of the Understanding the Holocaust Project (that correlates with the Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank) and the Westing Mansion Project (that correlates with the fictional story The Westing Game). Developing Usable Prototypes for Serious Games in OpenSim (Rachel Umoren and Evalyn Gossett) - An overview of the development process for serious games, including prototyping, usability testing, and more. Virtual Worlds Database (Alyse Dunavant-Jones, Valerie Hill, and Marie Vans) – Learn how the Virtual Worlds Database is promoting the best educational content virtual worlds have to offer, including the Digital Citizenship Museum. Again, see the complete conference program at http://conference.opensimulator.org/2017/program. How to Register for the OpenSimulator Community Conference Register for the OSCC17 event on the web site at oscc17.eventbrite.com. Note: While the conference will be hypergrid-enabled, please be sure to request an OSCC Grid avatar. That is, when trying to login (at the same time a lot of other attendees are trying to login), it is easier to gain access to the grid through a “native” avatar. Also, if you are too shy to use your real name when you register, you can always use a nom de plume (for your avatar’s name)! How to Download & Set-Up the Needed Viewer The Firestorm 64bit Viewer is recommended to access the OSCC Grid (with the download page for the Firestorm viewer at http://www.firestormviewer.org/downloads). More specifically, first choose your operating system (see below). Next, click on the 64bit Firestorm Viewer for OpenSim.  Then, after the Firestorm Viewer is installed on your computer, you need to load the OSCC Grid into the viewer. To load the OSCC Grid, click on the “Viewer” drop down menu in the upper left-hand corner of the viewer. Next, click on “Preferences” and “OpenSim” (items #1 in the image below). Next, enter the URI for the OSCC Grid (http://cc.opensimulator.org:8002 = item #2 in the image below). Finally, click on “Apply” (item #3 in the image below) and “OK” (item #4 in the image below). Next (after you receive your OSCC Grid login information), to login to the OSCC Grid, enter your avatar’s name (#1 in the image below), password (#2 in the image below), make sure “OpenSim Community Conference” is the grid selected (#3 in the image below), and click on the “Log In” button (#4 in the image below). As an aside, while the Firestorm Viewer is recommended for the OSCC event, there is another viewer – the Singularity Viewer at http://www.singularityviewer.org/downloads -- that allows the use of the URI in the grid text box WITHOUT the need for entering the grid URI into the viewer Preferences tab. See steps #1, #2, and #3 for the Singularity Viewer in the image below. In turn, since the Sinularity Viewer enables more rapid access to private OpenSim grids, it is a good choice for students. How to Navigate around the OSCC Grid Virtual World After you login to the OSCC Grid, your avatar will be on one of the four Landing Zone islands (see the image below). While you are on one of the Landing Zone islands, use your keyboard arrow keys to practice “walking” your avatar around (see the directions in the image below). Next, activate your movement control and camera control panels by clicking on each in the “Avatar” drop down menu in your Firestorm Viewer (see the image below). Next, to teleport your avatar to the OSCC Keynote region, click on map icon located in the menu located in the lower band of your viewer (#1 in the image below), locate OSCC Keynote (in the scroll-able map – #2 in the image below – OR “Find” text box -- #3 in the image below), and click on the “Teleport” button (#4 in the image below). Note: To better spread out the load of multiple avatars logging into the region at the same time, conference attendees are assigned to one of the four landing zones and their OSCC Keynote region access matches their landing zone access. For example, if you are assigned Landing Zone 4 you need to click on OSCC Keynote 4 in the map OR type OSCC Keynote 4 in the “Find” text box. After you arrive at the Keynote region, immediately right click on one of the chairs and click on “Sit Here” to seat your avatar in the chair. [Immediately seating your avatar minimizes the lag on the region (so more avatars can enter the region in time for the start of the event). Further, it is ALWAYS a good idea to arrive at a virtual world event venue EARLY. In contrast, waiting for the last minute to login often means you will miss five or ten minutes of the presentation (as you await your chance/turn to login).] After your avatar is seated in the audience at the Keynote auditorium, the script in the chair your avatar is sitting in will automatically focus your view on the stage and the presentation screen. To pan around the auditorium, click on the ESC button on your keyboard and use your camera controls to change the angle on your viewer. Also, click on the chat button in the menu located in the lower band of your viewer (#1 in the image below) – so the “Local [typed] Chat” will be visible (#2 in the image below) and so you will be able to read any additional instructions from the conference organizers (#3 in the image below). Also, prior to the start of the event, you will need to double-check to make sure your computer speaker (or headset) is turned on and set at the right volume.  Note: Do not hesitate to login to the OSCC Grid in advance of the event – to gain additional experience navigating around a virtual world grid. Further, if you do login to the grid, you can tour the OSCC Shopping Zone (see the image below). Finally, please consider attending the Educators’ Meet-Up [scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PST (7:00 p.m. CT) on Friday, December 8, 2017, on the Expo Zone 3 in the OSCC Grid (@ 71, 70, 25)] – to network with other educators currently teaching in virtual worlds AND for educators and others interested in learning more about teaching in virtual worlds.  Again, drop by to visit with colleagues, ask a question, share/locate content, and more! In addition to the Educators' Meet-Up on 12/8/17, please be sure to join the Educators in OpenSim group (in the OSCC grid). More specifically, after you are logged into the OSCC grid: Right click on your avatar; Click on Groups; Search for "Educators" (without the quotation marks); Click on the "Join" button; and Click on the "Yes" button. Also, feel free to use the group chat function to network with other educators during the Open Simulator Community Conference! ... View more

Dear Colleagues, I recently posted an idea for a new feature in Canvas = setting up a pool of possible profile pictures (like flowers, animals, etc.) that will enable some degree of personalization without creating the potential for students to post inappropriate pictures.  Further, this idea is now open for voting -- @ https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/7942-profile-pictures-drawn-from-a-fixed-pool-of-images -- and I am posting this note on the Higher Education discussion board to see if I might be able to reach a larger group of [potential] voters. My institution has not enabled the profile picture feature (owing to concerns over the possible inappropriate use of the profile picture by some students).  I teach completely online courses and firmly believe some sort of [differentiating] profile picture is needed to -- to make threaded discussions easier to follow.  I know there is a mechanism for anyone in Canvas to "flag" inappropriate profile images (and further, there is a "motion" to enable Canvas administrators to see who is flagging other students' profile pictures -- to guard against arbitrary/vendetta flagging).  Still, the idea of creating more work for our Canvas administrators (read:  creating a new task for Canvas administrators = tracking down the validity of flagged profile pictures) seems like a less than ideal solution. Thank you in advance for your possible vote for this new feature idea. -- Kay McLennan (Tulane University) ... View more

I just published an "open letter" to all OpenSimulator viewer developers in the Hypergrid Business e-magazine -- to request a downloadable viewer in a file form that can be readily integrated into a Canvas course site "Add App" panel (that requires the loading of a file type like "http://example.com/config.xml").  I currently use OpenSimulator learning simulations (created by me -- see examples of my Prisoners' Dilemma and Data Detectives Game simulations) in each online course I teach.  In turn, access to a viewer pre-loaded into each of my course sites would be a tremendous boost to my e-teaching! I am curious if there are other faculty/administrators in the Canvas community that use 3D virtual world learning simulations in their e-teaching? ... View more