Exploring the reciprocal nature of learning in Second Life
The purpose of the conference is to cultivate an international virtual learning community of students and educators. For the morning sessions, the primary audience will be faculty and support staff interested in Second Life as a learning tool. For the afternoon sessions, the primary audience will be undergraduate students interested in Second Life and virtual worlds. We hope that you can join us on June 17th for the first annual Undergraduate Conference hosted by the University of Texas System.
Undergraduate Conference SLURL
Overflow SLURL
Live video feed (opens in Quicktime)
All times are CDT.
9:30am – 10:15am [7:30am - 8:15am SLT]: Opening remarks and Instructor Panel
Instructors from UT System schools discuss past and future projects using Second Life with 10-15 minutes of Q&A. Moderated by Dr. Lynn Jones Eaton, Director of Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment at the University of Texas at Austin.
Panelists:
Dr. David J. Robinson, Vice-Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Tracy Villareal, Professor of Marine Science Institute and Dept. of Marine Science at The University of Texas at Austin
Carmen Fies, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio, in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
John Dunn, M.F.A., Instructor, Department of Art, University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Leticia De Leon, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, at the University of Texas-Pan American
10:30am – 11:15am [8:30am - 9:15am SLT]: John Lester (who was known as Pathfinder Linden when he worked at Linden Lab).
11:30am – 12:15pm [9:30am - 11:15am SLT]: Student Panel
Undergraduates from UT System schools discuss their experiences learning in a virtual world with 10-15 minutes of Q&A. Moderated by Mario Guerra, Training Specialist in the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment at the University of Texas at Austin.
Panelists:
UT Arlington College of Nursing student Vickey Thompson.
UT Brownsville Biological Science student Mario Marquez
UT Austin Design student Annie Samuelson
UT Austin Design student Jose Maria Longoria, III
12:30pm– 1:15pm [10:30am - 11:15am SLT] Keynote: Tim Kring, Executive Producer and Creator of the television show Heroes
Transmedia storyteller.
1:30pm – 2:15pm [11:30am - 12:15am SLT]: Working in a Virtual World
Interested in making money in Second Life? Interested in playing music for an international audience? Learn from a panel of professionals the in’s & out’s of working in a virtual world. Moderated by Carolyn Thomas, Senior Systems Analyst for the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment at the University of Texas at Austin.
Panelists:
Keiko Takamura is a virtual live musician in Second Life. Her endeavors have landed her a spot on MTV News, MTV’s True Life, and a Second Life banner ad. In real life, she is the frontwoman of Keiko Takamura and the Shebangs, a San Francisco-based indie-pop band.
Autumn Beaver is a virtual architect building in the online platforms, such as Second Life. Autumn has over 4 years building experience building in virtual worlds and nearly 10 years experience in graphic design and imaging. She is currently employed by several prominent real world faculty and companies, spending anywhere from 30 to 60 or more hours in world building.
2:30pm – 3:15pm [12:30pm - 1:15pm SLT]: Furthering Your Academic Career
Graduate students, medical students, and a law student discussing life and school past the undergraduate level. Moderated by Betsy Price, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Panelists:
Jim Wagner, Assoc. Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine UT Southwestern Medical School
Jessica Mullen, M.F.A., VLCI program coordinator
Handan Vicdan, Ph.D. Candidate in Marketing, University of Texas-Pan American
Brett Strand, JD – Cornell Smith & Mierl, LLP
2:30pm – 3:30pm [12:30pm - 1:30pm SLT]: Poster Session Presentations
Poster presentations will highlight UT System projects. Posters will be available all day. During this hour there will be someone to answer questions at each poster.
Posters:
- “You Are What You Eat” Food Sustainability Project by University of Texas Arlington
- The SL UTPA Library: Integrating a Virtual Space with Real Life by University of Texas Pan American
- Phases of the Moon by University of Texas Austin
- First Programming Course Entirely in SecondLife.com by Dallas County Community College
- Across Campus and Across Disciplines: A UT Austin Learning Environment Constructed by Design Undergraduates for use by Marine Science Undergraduates by University of Texas Austin
- Future Teachers Deliver Lessons in a Second Life Elementary School by University of Texas-Pan American
- Future Teachers in a Second Life Elementary School—Mixed Reviews by University of Texas-Pan American
- MD Anderson Cancer Center Nursing Island by MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Using a Second Life Exhibition Gallery as a Student Learning & Collaboration Tool by UT El Paso
- UTSA National Storytelling Day Role Play Exhibition by UT San Antonio
- UTSA Campus Mini-Model by UT San Antonio
- Corrections Systems and Practices Goes Second Life by UT Pan American
- First timers: Lessons learned from a rookie attempt at teaching presentation skills to upper-level students in Second Life and challenges faced in institutional implementation by UT Brownsville
3:30pm – 4:15pm [1:30pm - 2:15pm SLT]: Creating and Managing your Virtual Identity for an Academic and Professional Career
What do major corporations and businesses look for from graduated students entering the workforce? Learn how to manage a professional identity in a virtual environment from actual recruiters.
Presenter:
Niall King (Linden), Recruiting Field Marshall at Linden Lab – Seattle
After party at UTB/TSC
Party SLURL here!
Join the friendly folks at the University of Texas at Brownsville for fun in the sun at the Beach at SL’s South Padre Island.
Visit the Scorpion Dance Hall and dance the night away enjoying a great time with your peers and professors. You can also visit the UTB Amuseument park for a fun game of bumper cars or a ride on the merry-go-round taking in the beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico (no oil here). Wander down to the beach and enjoy a ride on your own Jet Ski. It is yours to keep and take home.
For nature lovers, visit Turtle Beach to watch the hatchlings leave the next and head out for their life adventure in the Gulf. Click on the sign to learn about the efforts Turtle Inc. have been making to keep these populations of turtles healthy and safe.
Art lovers may want to visit for a sneak preview of Continental Divide, a photography exhibit that documents the wildlife on the Mexican American Border. The border wall puts these animals at risk, cutting off their access to the Rio Grande River, often their only source of water.
Enjoy your stay and please come back again.
Betz Darwinian, Profe Camino, Machuk Python (Betsy Price, Jeff Wilson, and Luis Machuca)
