VWER comes to BGSU!
On March 18th, 20011 at the Virtual World Best Practices in Education conference in Second Life, AJ Kelton announced that the Virtual World Educator’s Roundtable meeting will move to the BGSU Virtual Campus in Scond Life. The VWER community (VWER.org) has been meeting regularly to discuss issues in virtual world education for several years. The first meeting on BGSU Community Island will take place on Thursday May 4th at 6pm EDT.
This Week on Campus, 10-1-10
There was a lot of activity on the Virtual Campus this week as the Pedagogy and Scholarship Using Virtual, Online, and Mediated Environments Learning Community (PSLC) at BGSU met in Second Life to for the first time.
The Gronstedt Group’s weekly “Train for Success” meeting met Virtual Campus Co-Administrators with Bonnie Mitchell and Anthony Fontana who gave a tour the BGSU Campus.
A BGSU Art Student in Fontana’s Artist Methods and Practice course is re-imagining a number of popular video game weapons in a “steampunk” style. Follow his work on his blog: http://blogs.bgsu.edu/steampunkgaming/.
Highlight on: Montana Miller
The BGSU Second Life Staff is proud to announce the commencement of a series of blog posts that will highlight the work of different members of the BGSU Second Life Learning Community. On this occasion, the spotlight is on Dr. Montana Miller, who was featured in a Zoom News article about her work in Internet research ethics.
In addition to being a member of the Learning Community, Pedagogy and Scholarship in Second Life, Dr. Miller has also served on BGSU’s Human Subjects Review Board since 2006, and is chair of the Internet Culture area of the Popular Culture Association. Miller’s expertise lies in the emerging field of Internet research ethics, in which she herself is making great strides in promoting a better understanding of the context and ethical dilemmas such research entails. Internet research is growing among social scientists, which in turn creates an area of concern for institutional review boards (IRBs) at universities and funding agencies.
Miller recently spoke on a panel centered on Internet research at the Advancing Ethical Research Conference, addressing these issues. “It’s a huge honor to have this opportunity to educate IRB members around the country about the issues that are so new and confusing to many,” she said. “…The rules and guidelines are only just being written, and it’s a privilege to have a voice in that process.”
The Advancing Ethical Research Conference where Dr. Miller spoke is the annual meeting of the PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research) organization, who, after Miller’s dedicated attendance for several years, have invited her to become a member of their faculty. She has also received other invitations to speak and present her research, such as her upcoming appearance at the AERA (American Educational Research Association) conference for their Online Teaching and Learning division, where she will be the keynote speaker.
Dr. Miller’s investigation of Second Life and other virtual worlds informs her research on Internet ethics.
Second Life at ArtX
December 4th marks the sixth annual ArtsX at the Fine Arts Center, and the Second Life staff has some exciting events lined up for the evening! Swing by room 1102 between 6-10 PM and see a Fashion Show (6:30), play our “Mondrian Madness” game (7:30), and participate in our Ava-Art Show (8:30). We hope to see you there!
BGSU: Second Life Learning Community ’09-10
Dear BGSU Faculty, Staff, and Grad Students,
It is time again to apply for a wonderful Learning Community at The Center for Teaching and Learning!
Here are the links to the:
Information about other LC’s can be found at http://bgsu.edu/ctl/page30860.html
CTL Learning Community Members receive $250 in Professional Development funds each semester.
About the SLLC:
The BGSU Second Life Learning Community provides an opportunity for faculty, graduate students, and staff to develop effective strategies for pedagogy and scholarship using virtual worlds. Through collaboration, discussion, and shared discovery, the learning community will focus on ways in which teaching and learning can be enhanced through the use of avatars, immersion, interactive learning objects, and social interaction in the virtual world.
Members will:
• Collaborate, interact, and support other faculty members interested in exploring ways of integrating Second Life in to their pedagogical and scholarship goals.
• Engage in discussions with interdisciplinary learning community members.
• Discover and share successful pedagogical strategies.
• Investigate possible research methodologies and topics related to virtual worlds.
