Key Trends for 2012: New Era of Personal Learning is Transforming the Training Industry

You may not have noticed, but a new era is quietly dawning on the training industry. It represents a change that is both profound and permanent. For more...click here.

Instructional Design ~ The Foundation

Robert M. Branch of University of Georgia wrote. "Instructional design is a process for generating strategies devoted almost exclusively to seeking ways to close a performance discrepancy (gap) that is caused by a lack of knowledge and skills. The displayed drawings illustrates a performance gap and the three categories of reasons for such a gap." Read more...

Grids gain 915 regions; InWorldz is busiest...

Hypergrid Business article writer, Maria Korolov, starts with, "The top 40 OpenSim grids gained 915 new regions since this time last month, bringing the total number of regions on these grids to 21,595, a new record high." Read more...

Games: Improving Education

Educators increasingly recognize the impact of entertainment software and utilize games as a teaching device in a growing number of classrooms and business settings. In doing so, they are embracing the cultural and technological shifts of the 21st century and expanding the use of a favorite leisure activity, computer and video games, into a critical and still-emerging educational resource. More than just play, entertainment software helps impart knowledge, develop life skills and reinforce positive habits in students of all ages. Read more...

Teaching English in Multiple User Virtual Environments

Teaching English in Multiple User Virtual Environments

Jerome Bump wrote a 19 point paper on one of the books he reviewed. Earlier in these pages, Myron Tuman’s 'Word Perfect: Literacy in the Computer Age', seems even more prophetic now than in 1992.

Educators touted, "my students chose Second Life, and they loved it. It proved to be a great spot for the sort of semi-ethographic research they're required to do, and they totally enjoyed the environment."

Read his 19 point paper on the subject.

Virtual World Home

The CoP Instructional Design 4 Educators at Kuwol is now open and home to reference Second Life (SL) activities for all educational disciplines from k-12 and higher learning levels. Please stop by and explore, especially contributions of SL educators.

The above link (SLURL) connects you to our designated Second Life SL location. Must or should have an active account. See below.

All information and student projects shared can be recreated at 181 known Virtual Grids, although, only 84 Grids are actually occupied.

Second Life highlights some of the most fun & noteworthy places to visit. From role-playing, to music, to virtual pets, meetings/conferences, hot spots, tours & chat (IM). An experience for everyone. While many call SL a game (aka, Mind Craft, Call of Duty), it is a Multiple User Virtual Environment(MUVE). The learning curve can be somewhat challenging if new to virtual worlds, but once you understand the way Avatars work, the experience is endless.

As Educators, you will have the opportunity to work with other savvy Educators and Librarians who have been active in immersive and interactive virtual world projects for some time.

If you need an account, it is free.
Second Life account for starters, join here... Second Life Free Account

Once at the SL orientation circle using your viewer...
Click on the above SLURL to Kuwol.