Highlights the work of Dr. Eileen O'Connor in virtual reality, particularly since the movement to open source environments, which has lowered the cost of entry for students. These slides were presented in a conference at SUNY Delhi in January 2015.

1. Using virtual reality to create both
learning environments and online
communities
 The presentation will demonstrate ways this instructor has
used virtual reality (starting with Second Life and migrating to
open source) to create a safe, inviting learning environment.
She will give general examples that could apply to various
courses or departments and she will bring forth her own
examples from teacher education and from instructional
technologies. Some video clips will be included to illustrate
the type of interactions that are possible and information on
the cost and feasibility of such a venture will be considered
as well.
Eileen O’Connor, Ph.D. - Empire State College eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
Pictorial overview in conjunction with
presentation – January 2015
My
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2. My
apps
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Open
source
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links
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Other
apps

3. Why Virtual
Reality?
Community
building
Collaboration
Study /
simulations /
visits
Creation /
programming
Education & conceptual frameworks abound – motivation, constructivism, “authentic
learning,” community of practice, assessment, analytics, evaluation, learning goals,
objectives, outcome, simulations, Piaget, Vygotsky, dual coding, digital natives, scaffolding,
training, project-based learning, problem-based learning, 21st century approaches,
immersive experiences

4. Ways to procure your own virtual
experiences
Virtual Usage Approaches (join
communities)
Second Life / Active
Worlds / other providers
Rent
islands
Get
advanced
avatar w/
small land
Sharecrop
/ field trips
Or, get Open Source
(code from SL)
Stand
alone or
hypergrid
Types of
viewers
Try on your
computer
My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
sourc
e
Fall
links
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pix
Other
apps

5. Various platforms today
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSimulator
http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page

6. New providers are emerging; lower
cost but stability?
http://www.kitely.com/
http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com/

7. Joining
community groups
http://www.avacon.org/blog/
My
apps
VP 1st
time
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sourc
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links
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Other
apps

8. More “world” providers are becoming available quickly;
look at the HyperGrid Business for upcoming ideas
http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/

9. Example
from the
Sept 2013
conference
My
apps
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time
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links
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10. My pathways into virtual
 Initial motivation – to create an education
platform that could have the potential for
intrinsically motivating experiences that
could be shared across geography for K12
STEM (science, technology, engineering,
mathematics)
 If World of Warcraft has their minds, why
can’t we?
 To bring in pre-service teachers
 Many applications emerged
 To start other virtual reality developers
K12
Teacher
Ed
Virtual
developers

11. SER/VE Begins
My
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source
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Other
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13. My
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16. My
apps
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source
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Other
apps

18. My sabbatical too –
healthcare simulation for
middle school
instruction/ work w/
Africa – private island
My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
source
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

19. Finally in spring 2014. . .
 I began teaching a class on working & designing in virtual
reality
 For the MALET program (Master of Arts in Learning and
Emerging Technology) at Empire State College
 Students are now creating / designing amazing new virtual
spaces
 Most are using some original design and some purchased
items
 Using ESC island
 Students developed focused, targeted areas of interest
My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
sourc
e
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

20. Virtual – artistic &
musical creation

21. Virtual – dorm
management - meetings
& classroom

22. Virtual – learning by doing / trampoline

23. Virtual classroom created by student – used
as an ag-tech meeting space

24. But then things changed as the next
class came:
The islands in SL were too small – not
enough space for students to develop
their own work
So, we moved to new venues . . . which
changed us from limited use to virtual
development and design
My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
source
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

25. What changes has open source allowed?
• A larger, more cohesive framework for complex designs
• A location where students could have ownership and control over an entire
process / learning by reading, watching, doing, testing, sharing
• A framework that allowed students to develop projects for others beyond
themselves and their direct work /school experience
• Greater sophistication in the work that emerged – from limited applications/all
move towards things they would like to see that were not feasible in their
current environment/students came with expertise and content areas
• A more comprehensive and applied understanding of a complete learning
environment
• Freed from the constraints of “reality” – but held to a standard of sense-
making, application, quality
• Something that could be saved and used later – entire island downloads

26. Why Virtual
Reality?
Community
building
Collaboration
Study /
simulations /
visits
Creation /
programming
Education & conceptual frameworks abound – motivation, constructivism, “authentic
learning,” community of practice, assessment, analytics, evaluation, learning goals,
objectives, outcome, simulations, Piaget, Vygotsky, dual coding, digital natives, scaffolding,
training, project-based learning, problem-based learning, 21st century approaches,
immersive experiences

27. Why virtual? And, what can you REALLY do?
• Students could now develop an entire “concept” for an education
/ communication / interaction environment
• The bi-weekly meeting were about real events and designs – not
just simple widgets and whirly-gigs
• Students visited and share each others design ideas
• Students could envision an entire
process or project – and create a
starting point that they could
continue to develop
Design, immersion & conceptual
framing became a reality

28. ESC –
MALET had
a booth at
the 2014
conference

29. What was the process of learning & community
building? – working together in comfortable settings
• Meeting and sharing
• Ideas / technologies eventually, articulating a large and visionary
instructional purpose within the space
• Framing theoretical papers were produced by each student
• Work in progress and “homework” via video (Screencast-o-matic)

30. Working within the individual students ideas and
conceptualization / visiting their works-in-progress
– not just the once-removed, abstraction of writing
• Moving toward pilots and learner
testing in the second course

31. Visiting each others “visualizations” and the
approaches & skills they were developing

32. Fascinating projects emerged – the experience,
talents, desires of the students emerged
And, all of these
could be saved onto
their computer at
the end of the
semester for later
implementation

33. Meeting and visiting – again, learning from a
“reality” of a students’ thinking – not just talk
and/or text
• Collaborations among the students
• One student even choose to “officially” tutor other students -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhmnGi-8VxI&feature=youtu.be
• Another student brought an entire class to her island

34. Examples -- students sharing their work
• Virtual tutoring - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhmnGi-8VxI&feature=youtu.be
• ELL / ESOL (English learners) support – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bk7kUlfOkI
• Healthcare training - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDRDMMUZ2sw
• Art teaching & design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36RrsY9aiuM
• Video Production - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfpWLVImKUc&feature=youtu.be
• Conference Planning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBI0bIGBto
• Theater set design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBp4rMIoXo
• Biology for middle school - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEML-r94xwo
• A science lesson built within a complex island design framework -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiNzhaM7siI
My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
source
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

35. Ways to procure virtual experiences
Virtual Usage Approaches (join communities)
Second Life / Active
Worlds / other providers
Rent islands
Get advanced
avatar w/
small land
Sharecrop /
field trips
Or, get Open Source (code
from SL)
Stand alone
or hypergrid
Types of
viewers
Try on your
computer

36. Learn video in studio
settings or in natural
setting– the “live”
instruction & meetings will
be centered hereMy
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
source
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

37. A hospital training department is investigating the
use of virtual reality as a training site for the ongoing
and 24/7 instructional needs . . . without adding
more physical space

38. VP2 student tutors VP1 student –
and shares his work via a taped
sessions – a “digital native” at work

39. English language learners start with
safe and then expansive experiences

40. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBp4rMIoXo
High school students can make and test theater sets
thus learning set design and collaboration skills in a
low cost yet highly flexible virtual environment

41. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36RrsY9aiuM
Artist and art students can come to learn,
experience and develop virtual creations that
they can bring to fabricators later; they can begin
to understand art exhibitions too

42. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yBI0bIGBto
This spearheaded the creation of an exhibit booth at
a virtual conference on virtual reality – she brought
us to the conference, and got us great publicity too

43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEML-r94xwo
Middle school students (in an after school program)
can come to a fun & informative cell biology
simulations – with simulations, tutorials, and prizes

44. A VP2 student brings a class
to her Creative Center

46. Securing a
VR space
Create /
acquire
Second Life
Open Sim
Visit
SUNY
Other
island
Borrow
Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu

48. Example places – student visits
• See some Second Life locations that students reported

49. My
apps
VP 1st
time
Open
source
Fall
links
Fall
pix
Other
apps

50. Cultural location

51. Book Island

52. Ancient locations

54. Steampunk / machines