SESSION ABSTRACTS (International Time Zone converter)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS- 10am to 11am PST - 1pm to 2pm EST - 6pm to 7pm GMT
"Collaborative information visualizations: Augmenting, evaluating, and studying virtual worlds and their evolving communities"
Dr. Katy Borner, Assistant Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington
Virtual Location: i-Garden

Due to the increasing pace of scientific and technological progress we are drowning in data. Search engines cover a decreasing amount of online documents (web pages, papers, images, videos, software demos, etc.), the quality of retrieved documents is rather low, and web search and browsing is a very lonely activity.

Several systems aim to exploit spatial memory for information retrieval and organize large amounts of documents in a 2-D or 3-D space. Even more importantly, 3-D spaces can be explored collaboratively enabling us to leverage the knowledge of other participants. However, a second or third dimension introduces serious navigation problems. Overview maps, landmarks, etc. become key to support efficient information access. Questions such as “Who is online?”, “Whom can I ask for which information?”, “When is xx typically available and where?”, etc. need to be answerable to facilitate collaboration. This talk will show how information visualization techniques can be applied to design collaborative document spaces – we call them Memory Palaces – and how document spaces or any other 3-D world can be augmented, evaluated, and studied by visualizing user interaction data in a second twin-world – which we named Mirror Garden.

PANEL 1 - 11am to NOON PST - 2pm to 3pm EST - 7pm to 8pm GMT
"Humans in Cyberspace - Exploring the Humanities in Rich, Visual Contexts"
Chair, Patrick McKercher, University of California, Santa Cruz
Special Guest Speakers: James Burke, Connections & Bruce Damer, Contact Consortium
Virtual Location: VLEARN

Early experiments in using computers in education, as one would expect, have gravitated towards science and technology itself. Increasingly, artists and educators are adding digital technology to their more traditional palette of media to explore the questions the humanities have always asked: who are we and how did we get here? Recent events have made other corollary questions more pressing as well: who are they, and where are we going? As we have become all too aware of our inextricable links to people and places we recently considered too remote and strange to be of any consequence, this panel will explore how virtual space not only offers us new ways of communicating, but of collaborating in history, the arts, and the art of teaching.

The Knowledge Web
James Burke, Author, Writer, Director

James Burke, known best for his television series, "Connections" and his numerous books and articles, is collaborating with educators and others to bring to life his vision to use Internet technologies, state of the art visualization tools and virtual environments to explore the humanities in profoundly new ways. Burke offers us a sneak peak of his very exciting "Knowledge Web" which will incorporate the ideas of his books, The Knowledge Web: From Electronic Agents to Stonehenge and Back and The Pinball Effect: How Renaissance Water Gardens Made the Carburetor Possible--And Other Journeys Through Knowledge.

Preview of - AVATARS 2001 - A Cyberspace Odyssey
Bruce Damer, Founder of the Contact Consortium & DigitalSpace

AVATARS 2001 conference is the conference from which VLearn3D sprang four years ago. Now in its sixth year, the Contact Consortium's annual event gathers together the growing global Avatar Cyberspace community. This unique combination of the artistry and community never fails to inspire participants with a leading edge celebration of what is possible in inhabited cyberspace. Bruce will offer a preview of the events for Sunday's all day show and talk about how AVATARS has evolved from a real to virtual through the last 6 years. Highlights each year include the art exhibits (this year with an Orbital theme), the cybertrade shows, the Webcam portals and AVVY awards that are presented at the grand "costume party" finale.

PANEL 2 - Noon to 1pm PST - 3pm to 4pm EST - 8pm to 9pm GMT
"Learning Tools for Interactivity & Dynamic Data Vizualization in Science Worlds"
Margaret Corbit, Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University
Dr. Cinzia Gandini, Medico Veterinario, Spec. Clinica dei Piccoli Animali
Virtual Location: Babel

Scientific Vizualization in CHEMEET World
Dr. Cinzia Gandini, Medico Veterinario, Spec. Clinica dei Piccoli Animali

The purpose of this project is to explore the application of 3D scientific animations, various 3D plug-ins and web-based tools, in a 3D virtual environment. This study presents preliminary findings about first year university students approaching the new computer based technologies. Interests and capability in taking advantage of the purposed tools through an Internet connection are investigated. The final goal is to assess the real extent of use and effectiveness achieved from the application of animated tutorials and combined tools that imply both the use of the web and of a 3D classroom. The project is also considering students' needs and expectations from distance learning when a 3D environment is included

Dynamically constructed virtual spaces - The "Loose Integration" Framework
Dr. Simeon J. Simoff, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney

The rapid development of on-line learning environments places serious problems in selecting the appropriate on-line learning environment. Shifting from one environment to another is an expensive (in terms of lecturer and student efforts) exercise. One solution to cope with this problem is the loose integration approach - building the virtual environment as a collection of several underlying technologies. This approach allows to develop an open integrated environment which supports consistent human computer interaction, uniting existing supporting technologies at conceptual and interface level. Proposed framework is suitable for developing customisable learning environments for subjects, which include in their curriculum different computer mediated environments and different modes of delivery.

The Challenge of Data Visualization in Virtual Worlds
Margaret Corbit, Outreach/PR Manager, Cornell Theory Center

Science communication benefits greatly from the use of multimedia. Researchers share information in the form of charts and graphs, documentary images, and now in 3D graphic files on a regular basis. The challenge is to allow the general audience to explore and manipulate the same kind of information in fun and interesting ways. This talk will introduce focal projects of the Cornell Theory Center online outreach program, SciCentr, in particular work with online virtual worlds for science in AWEDU, discuss means of integrating our various media, and describe some of our upcoming challenges.

PANEL 3 - 1pm to 2pm PST - 4pm to 5pm EST - 9pm to 10pm GMT
Peer-to-Peer Mentoring in Living Knowledge Spaces
Chair, Bonnie DeVarco, VLearn3D, Media Tertia and the University of California, Santa Cruz
Panelists: Andrew M Phelps & Jeffrey Sonstein, Information Technology Dept. Rochester Institute of Technology, Allan Lundell and Marian Sun McNamee Co-founders, Virtual World Studios
Virtual Location: VLEARN

As learner-centered and constructivist approaches to education affect both the traditional and the online classroom, educators are beginning to take advantage of online collaborative tools that supplement and support their students' activities. These tools provide students with a space of their own where they can learn from each other, comment on each other's work and ideas, and better understand the thinking processes of their peers. Student motivation and satisfaction is increased by their involvement with a larger network of peers.

A 3D collaborative environment can become more than a social commons area that allows students to meet with each other and their support network. Because of its essential characteristics, it can quickly become a dynamic "knowledge space" where information is contextualized in numerous ways and contributed to by the larger learning community. Since students have expertise of their own to share with the rest of the community, the opportunity to help build this environment and its content encourages more active participation in their subjects. This panel will include educators and others who are exploring the challenges and advantages presented by using these spaces during the course cycle, from theory to practice.

MUPPETS : Multi-User Programming Pedagogy for Enhancing Traditional Study
Andrew Phelps & Jeffrey Sonstein, Information Technology Dept. Rochester Institute of Technology

Our experiences in delivering coursework to students in the area of multimedia programming have lead us to seek ways to enhance student involvement. Through capitalizing on research in the areas of gaming and virtual community social psychology, we plan to develop a Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE). This CVE will be aimed specifically at engaging upper-division students in the education of lower-division students. We propose to build on existing research and technical developments in the field to design and construct a CVE and supporting infrastructure. This will be aimed at encouraging and rewarding student engagement and peer knowledge-transmission.

Virtual Worlds as Immersive Video Sets: Combining Online Virtual Worlds with Videographic Storytelling
Allan Lundell and Marian Sun McNamee Co-founders, Virtual World Studios

By using readily available blue screen compositing technology and digital video with online virtual worlds and live action role-playing, it is possible to create visually compelling video productions in real-time, broaching any topic of interest, from geometry to zoology. Thanks to the variety of online virtual worlds currently available, the set design of classroom video productions is approaching the richness of the classic back lots found at major motion picture studios. From ancient Roman amphitheaters to Mars colonies of the future and underwater cities of today, there are hundreds of virtual environments already made, just waiting for the right video project to make use of them.

Using virtual environments as digital video sets is becoming increasingly efficient and low cost. It does, however, require the mastery of some basic desktop media skill sets such as the use of a camcorder, portable blue screen, lighting, Photoshop, Premiere, and audio editing software, like Sound Forge. Creating a good script, and having some acting skills are also helpful for a successful virtual world video. For the V-Learn3D conference, we have created a proof-of-concept demo, using the above tools and a live 2nd grade student in Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum's Van Gogh world in AWedu. This session will begin with a 3-minute Real Video presentation.

Virtual Tours at VTOUR World

Informal virtual tours to more than a dozen education worlds in AWedu will be held one hour prior to the conference (9am to 10am PST, noon to 1pm to 2pm EST and 5pm to 6pm GMT) and for one hour after the conference (2pm to 3pm PST, 5pm to 6pm EST, and 10pm to 11pm GMT). Go to the VTour world in AWedu or teleport directly from the Tour Page here.