Summit 2003

Special Interest Session Overviews

Sessions will last approximately 40 minutes and provide brief examples or information pertaining to unique applications of 3-D virtual environments and their ability to stimulate educational collaboration, collaborative research, and technology integration. These sessions are intended to provide IEA participants with a foundation of understanding that will help us move forward to create project initiatives between IEA members. The IEA will work to find support for those initiatives that are developed by members.

These sessions will run simultaneously. Select one to attend. Each participant will receive a follow up information summary in the days following the summit that will include links to these transcripts and a summary of the important events of the summit.

Virtual GIS - Viewing Earth as a Scale Independent Communication Medium

Presenter: Bonnie DeVarco

Location: BioLearn World

Bonnie will discuss trends in visualizing our Earth and show examples of next-generation 3D GIS and GPS Literacy. She and colleagues will highlight how GIS is currently being developed and used for social, cultural and ecological data and demonstrate the birth of a new form of "Virtual GIS" for both Active Worlds and Adobe Atmosphere.  Participants will be encouraged to share ideas about how GIS technology can be used to impact learning and understanding between people from different cultures and geographic areas.

Global Research Collaborations

Presenter: Margaret Corbit

Location: VLearn World

This session will focus on the value of cross-cultural research and the possibilities of utilizing multi-user virtual environments (MUVE) to facilitate research initiatives without borders. Ms. Corbit will discuss previous work conducted at the Cornell Theory Center (CTC). The presentation will center on topics relating to scientific research initiatives, but dialog on other research initiatives will be encouraged.

Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) Technology and Multimedia Integration

Presenter: Richard Giles

Location: Showcase World

Mr. Giles will lead a session to help expand participant’s understanding of the Active Worlds 3-D browser and demonstrate how a wide variety of multimedia elements can be utilized to create stimulating and informative resources for learning. This session will also cover basic technology issues that will help participants understand how to integrate MUVE technology into learning environments. A variety of unique project environments will be shown to highlight this presentation.

Student and Teacher Collaborations in Virtual Worlds

Presenter: Mark Arnold

Location: Unite World

This session will provide examples of ways that MUVE technology can help create dynamic and exciting opportunities for collaboration between students and teachers. Mr. Arnold will help participants consider how this technology can play an important role in breaking down traditional classroom walls and the barriers between people from different cultures. The session will look at how many existing intercultural and international educational initiatives could benefit from integrating MUVE technology.

Klara – A Historical Reconstruction of Stockholm, Sweden (1899)

Presenter: Dan Irmalm

Location: Klara World

Klara is a dynamic reconstruction of Stockholm, Sweden. Participants will be virtually transported back to Stockholm 1899. Klara is an exciting opportunity to see how professionally designed MUVE environments can invigorate learning. In this environment participants will see how these environments cannot only alter the distance between people, but time as well. Watch out for the horse and trolley!