The two Scottish Regional Support Centres, in collaboration with the Higher Education Academy (Scotland), are delighted to announce Virtual Worlds 2008. The one-day national event that seeks to answer the question,

“Do virtual worlds have a place in education?”

Arguments in favour of using the technology with students are varied – it’s engaging, immersive, and limited only by your imagination. If the hype surrounding virtual worlds like ‘Second Life’ is to be believed, then it’s only a matter of time before the avatars start taking over the classroom. Indeed, several colleges and universities have already set up (virtual) shop in this brave new world. And yet, those against the use of such technology see it as frivolous and time-wasting. It’s just a game. Besides, surely students are there to learn, not to enjoy themselves!

It would be reassuring if you could see and experience for yourself what the technology has to offer, before making up your own mind.

Virtual Worlds 2008 brings together the best of virtual worlds used in education today, with the opportunity for you to learn about and talk to people who are successfully using the technology with real students. There’s nothing like trying it out for yourself though, so throughout the day, you’ll be able to attend hands-on workshops where you’ll experience actual learning sequences ‘in world’. This participative aspect of Virtual Worlds 2008 promises to make it a conference quite unlike any you’ve experienced before.

Below is a brief selection of the workshops on offer:

  • Free me from my Second Life. Step back in time and walk down the streets of ancient Greece via St. Andrews University’s OpenSim – the open source version of Second Life.
  • Meet the Virtual Patient. Feel the virtual pulse, this won’t hurt a bit! Daden Ltd, leading virtual world and AI consultancy, introduce their virtual patient technology used by St George’s Hospital, London.
  • Give me the Tools… Put on your hard hat and toe protectors and join Jackie McMillan from Learn Direct & Build (and North Highland College) on a virtual building site. See how virtual worlds are used to teach real life practical skills.

Workshops and presentations are available also from other leading-edge experts in the use of virtual worlds for education, including Altered Learning, Coventry University, Eduserv, Heriot-Watt University, JISC Services, Leeds College of Art, University of the West of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.

Places for this conference are limited, and demand is expected to be high. Please make your booking early and note that our funding requires us to give preference to persons from Scottish institutions of further and higher education.

Date:       Wednesday, 29th October
Venue:    University of Stirling
Cost:       £50

Click here to find out more about the Virtual Worlds 2008 Conference