Conducting Educational Research in Virtual Worlds

ARVEL SIG, Applied Research in Virtual Environments for Learning, will be hosting the 2010 Educational Research Workshop from April 30th thru May 4th, at the Sheraton Hotel in Denver, CO. The ARVEL SIG group is the American Education Research Association SIG for educators, scholars, and practitioners researching computer-mediated 3D communities. The event is being sponsored by Boise State, ISTE, Univ. of North Texas and Texas A&M.

Two of AECT's Virtual World's Committee members, Dr. Lisa Dawley of Boise State University and Dr. Tom Atkinson of University of Central Florida, will both be in attendance to host sessions durning the scheduled event. A planned "Meet and Greet the Experts" session will also be held in, Sheraton, Plaza A, on Monday, May 3, 2010 from 12:25 ‐1:55 PM, included will be special guests David Gibson, Jeremy Kemp, Chris Dede, Jonathon Richter, Diane Jass Ketelhut, Greg Jones, Brian Nelson, and Sabine Lawless‐Reljic, to name a few. To learn more, please see the following links ARVEL Event and ARVEL workshop for more details of the presentation events, or visit the arvelsig.com home page to learn more information about the ARVEL sig.

Teleport to: http://slurl.com/secondlife/CAVE/161/61/25/ to see a schedule for current and future events that the VWC is hosting.

Again, for new users the the VWC has attached FAQ document on the AECT website to assist new members. It is also recommend for new participants to join the AECT_SL group for full access to all areas and features on CAVE Island in Second Life. (http://slurl.com/secondlife/CAVE/54/52/826).

Directions: Once an account is created in SL, users can search under the "Groups" tab from the "Search" button at the bottom of their screen, to locate the AECT_SL group. Using the SLURLs (links) listed below, will take avatars directly to the CAVE island meeting rooms, this allows members ease of access to each area without any assistance, similar to more familiar conferencing systems in our real world.

Link to Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) Link to Getting Started in SL Step-by-Step Instructions (Flash)

Getting to CAVE Island in Second Life is now easier than ever. Use the following SLURL's or links, to quickly access areas and events on CAVE island.

If you would like to find out more about ACET VWC and become a member of the committee or become a virtual speaker, please visit AECT's SecondLife Home Page. You can also follow us on Twitter, just search on AECT_SL.

Come lighten your day, and join us and your colleagues for a new and interesting way to teach and learn in our new space! To get your name added to the in-world membership registry, contact Tom Atkinson, our Project Manager at, atkinson@aect.org . Each time we post an in-world event, you will be sent an invitation in-world and an email notice informing you of when and where to join AECT on CAVE Island.

The VWC has been to work with AECT Division Affiliates to develop the personal division meeting spaces on C.A.V.E. Island. If there are areas in need of furnishing and decorating we are still available to assist each group. Contact your Division Communication affiliate today, and share your ideas for your division's personal in-world meeting space.