VWBPE 2024: MYTHIC ORIGINS

March 14-16, 2024

REGION MAP

LOCATIONS, EXHIBITS, AND SPONSORS

WELCOME TO THE VWBPE 2024 CONFERENCE: MYTHIC ORIGINS

The Conference Regions

The VWBPE Conference features 9×16 acre biomes, each with their own characteristics. Come visit and explore the exhibits. lectures, workshops, and social activities we have planned throughout the conference.

  • Exhibits open Sunday, March 10
  • Conference Presentations March 14-16
  • Immersive Experiences March 8-28
Tundra Biome, VWBPE
Wetlands Biome, VWBPE

Regions

  • Badland Wilds
  • Rainbow Basin
  • Canopy Point
  • Desert Hinterlands
  • Grasslands Gateway
  • Jungle Habitat
  • Floating Meadows
  • Tundra Expanse
  • Wetlands Marsh
  • Tundra Biome, VWBPE
    Badlands Biome, VWBPE
    Desert Biome, VWBPE
    Tundra Biome, VWBPE
    Grasslands Biome, VWBPE
    Tundra Biome, VWBPE
    Tundra Biome, VWBPE
    Meadow Biome, VWBPE
    Basin Biome, VWBPE
    Tundra Biome, VWBPE
    Jungle Biome, VWBPE
    Canopy Biome, VWBPE

    Exhibits

    BW1 - VCARAs Cave of Illusions & Biased Confusions

    Track: Higher Education/College Best Practices
    Affiliation: San Jose State University & Colorado State University

    The setting, Plato’s Cave, is a demonstration of the “effect of education and lack of it on our nature.” A central theme of the San Jose State University, iSchool’s Cave of Illusions and Biased Confusions is our current research on avatar biases. It also includes a celebration of 5 years of VR Exploder’s Club field trips and the insights we’ve gained from our work in environments beyond Second Life, such as Hubs, Spatial.io, and other virtual worlds. The SJSU iSchool’s Virtual Center for Archives & Records Administration (VCARA), has had a presence in Second Life since 2008 and has focused on the use of virtual worlds for education for over 15 years. Visitors will discover a rich history of the evolution of ideas and information; from Plato’s cave and the Buddhist concept of Maya (illusion) to the world of information today that is born digital.

    CP1 - The Tree of Knowledge: Myth & Sustainability

    Track: Artists, Designers and Builders
    Affiliation: Mystic Academy

    This virtual exhibit revolves around the concept of the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ set in a temperate forest environment. It features a tree house (as a tree of knowledge) and a permaculture-based food garden surrounding. The exhibit connects international mythical stories from both the global north and south, emphasizing the significance of sustainability. Visitors will engage with interactive artefacts and art pieces in the tree house, with touch prompts revealing textual and visual stories promoting lifelong learning, well-being, and neuroplasticity. In the garden there will be information on how to grow food from home and take care of the nature in your immediate surroundings – thus promoting life long learning and concern for ones immediate community. AI may be used to support some of the visuals used but this will be showcased transparently, showing the prompt and tool used.

    CP3 - NPC Mother Tree

    Track: Advocacy
    Affiliation:  Nonprofit Commons

    The Mother Tree concept is that certain trees in a forest ecosystem play a crucial role as hubs or connectors, enhancing the survival and growth of the interconnected forest.

    Through chemical signals, Mother Trees communicate with nearby trees, helping the entire forest respond collectively to challenges, acting as central nodes, sharing nutrients with other trees and seedlings.

    The mycelium of fungi form a vast network, in symbiotic relationship with trees, helping to absorb nutrients from soil in exchange for sugars produced during photosynthesis.

    As Mother Trees nourish the forest, Microphilanthropy nurtures our world through collective small acts of generosity.

    Like Mother Trees, philanthropy nurtures and supports others. Not just in financial donations, but fostering growth, sharing knowledge, and co-creating our future together

    Our Nonprofit Commons CommUnity shares these values, co-evolving a new generation of Mother Trees.

    CP5 - Ghostraven Professional Attire

    Track: Tools and Products
    Affiliation: Ghostraven Professional Attire

    This cozy shop includes free clothing for women and men, as well as notecards and posters describing how to tailor your avatar appearance to look like the professional you are. Ghostraven Professional Attire (GPA) focuses on modest system and prim clothing for the classic Second Life human avatar. This clothing may be worn on mesh avatars with BoM (Bakes On Mesh) capability. We can help you match your avatar self with the professional image that you wish to convey.

    Ghostraven Professional Attire is based on the reality that physical body shapes are all different, and there is a need for avatars to have the ability to represent whatever shape they want to. For some of us, the limited options available in mesh body shapes do not meet our needs, and standard-sized mesh clothing does not fit our virtual body shapes well. Because system and flexi clothing will fit any human classic avatar (as well as BOM enabled mesh avatars), GPA specializes in new, modest designs using older methods

     

    DH1 - Mythic Worlds

    Track: Games and Simulations
    Affiliation: Virtual Harmony

    Virtual Harmony features a collection of 18+ grids and game simulation designs that serve as a proof of concept for immersive learning. Our Bridging Worlds exhibit illustrates our process for designing and integrating worlds.

    DH2 - Dragon Power: Next Step of Gamified Learning

    Track: Games and Simulations
    Affiliation: VBCPS

    Come explore the world of discovery and innovation in Atrial as STEM & Engineering Students use the Power of Dragons to solve modern day problems. Students used the inspiration of dragons to conquer 3 Real World Problems. Trials of Dragon Fire, Flight, and Genetic Engineering. Look at the weaving of story, Gamified Learning, and more to give students a broader view of Engineering Principles. The Major Fields of Focus will be in Energy Engineering through Wind Turbines, Aeronautical Engineer through Aerodynamic modeling, and Genetic Engineering through the combined efforts of Science and Engineering to breed a new future for innovations in Biological Preservation and Biomimicry Inspired technologies and systems. The Year of Dragons is just the beginning of something great and we hope to share that with you.

    DH3 - JoinMeJoinUs

    Track: Advocacy
    Affiliate: JoinMeJoinUs

    JoinMeJoinUs stands as a grassroots movement, urging individuals with a passion for change to unite globally during Phase One, known as “First We Connect.” Together, we strive to become a formidable force for positive meaningful transformation of issues which are impacting us all. Imagine the power of our one strong loud voice for change! Explore our exhibit featuring informative posters with reasons to join and how to get involved.

    For an added thrill, take on our ever-popular Obstacle Course, guiding your avatar through challenges, with a coveted Champion Trophy awaiting those who conquer it. Don’t forget to pick up your collectible 2024 teddy bear. Join us!

    DH4 - Mythic Origins of UNM

    Track: Higher Education/College Best Practices
    Affiliation: University of New Mexico

    Each Of Us Defines All Of Us is the theme of the University of New Mexico. Our presence in the Metaverse is one way we support our diverse learning communities. Our Origin story is that of three proud cultures coming together. Students will share our history and approaches that have worked for us.

    Exhibits

    FM1 - Avacon helping build & support the Metaverse

    Track: Advocacy
    Affiliation: AvaCon Inc.

    AvaCon, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the growth, enhancement, and development of the metaverse, virtual worlds, augmented reality, and 3D immersive and virtual spaces. Through the lens of VWBPE’s 2024 theme “Mythic Origins,” we will re-envision our work with communities throughout the Metaverse, exploring new immersive technologies and platforms and sharing resources on digital media tools, streaming, educational content, and info with those exploring the VWBPE exhibits.

    JH1 - Second Life Topography

    Track: Artists, Designers and Builders
    Affiliation: Grad Student in Media Arts and Technology at UC Santa Barbara

    As a vast virtual canvas upon which so many different people have made their mark, Second Life’s world both inspires and defies imagination. It is enormous and enormously diverse; its mainland continents in particular have been home to a wide array of Residents and their creations over the years, stretching across landmasses that invite exploration and reward visitors with many a memorable and unpredictable sight.

    Being a longtime explorer myself (not only of Second Life but of other virtual worlds as well), I wanted to try to showcase this world—or parts of it—in a more “holistic” way than the platform’s software is able to render. Using a combination, then, of LSL, Python, and Blender, I’ve been making terrain models of various areas, including of entire continents (like Heterocera and Bellisseria, just to start with). For this exhibit, I will have some of these models on display.

    JH2 - Magic and Mythmaking at the World's Fair

    Track: Artists, Designers and Builders
    Affiliation: Veritas Studios

    The Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 instilled wonder into the hearts of millions of Americans as they were introduced to the magic of light and recorded sound for the first time. Audiences at 1964 New York World’s Fair were dazzled by mythical depictions of America’s future in a Post-War world. Through the lens of World’s Fairs, our exhibit showcases how virtual educators and artists can use visual storytelling to captivate and engage students and audiences.

    RB1 - Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable

    Track: Support and Help Communities
    Affiliation: Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable

    Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable (VWER) is a weekly discussion forum for people interested in virtual worlds education, whether they are engaged in informal or formal education. We meet on Thursdays at 12 noon SLT (Pacific US time) for an hour, in the 3D virtual world, Second Life (TM Linden Lab) at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Infolit%20iSchool/234/24/22

    Anyone is welcome to drop by to our sessions, we will be very happy to see you. As well as text-chat discussions on educational topics (from AI, to assessment, to clothes!), we also have activities, and visits to places with an educational connection. The exhibit will introduce you to some past VWER sessions, some of the people who you can meet at VWER, and also engage you in some of the topics that VWER discusses.

    RB2 - Librarian and Educator Self Care

    Track: Advocacy
    Affiliate: San Jose State University VCARA

    In an underwater-themed environment, this exhibit shares information about strategies for meditation, destressing, and mindful eating with particular attention paid to wellness for educators and librarians.

    RB3 - VMMOOC

    Track: Educators and Trainers
    Affiliate: VWMOOC

    The Virtual World MOOC (VWMOOC), formerly known as the Second Life MOOC, is an annual event that began in 2014.

    The upcoming VWMOOC23 is scheduled to run from September 1 to September 30, 2024, and will be hosted on the Moodle for Teachers platform.

    The theme for this iteration of the MOOC is “Connecting in Virtual Worlds: Communities of Practice.”

    The focus of VWMOOC23 is on exploring the various communities within virtual worlds that facilitate education and learning through online connections using web technologies like Second Life, Digiworldz, Kitely, Minecraft, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and OpenSim. Participants will engage in collaborative learning and teaching experiences within these virtual environments, emphasizing the potential for online connections to enhance educational practices.

    You can visit last year Mooc here: https://integrating-technology.org/course/view.php?id=114

    TE1 - Bringing Metaverse Educators Together

    Track: Support and Help Communities
    Affiliate: VWEC

    VWEC connects to the Mythic Origins that invite us to focus on our story and the importance of bringing educators and communities together to address challenges and celebrate the success. Our stories inform us and allow us to create new opportunities to adapt and improve. We celebrate the opportunity to work together with amazing problem solvers, creative planners and true innovators that make up the educational community in Virtual Worlds.

    TE2 Origins of Business in Creative Industries

    Track: Higher Education/College Best Practices
    Affiliate: Community College of Denver

    The creative industries (3D world building, game design, digital animation, video production, music and recording arts technology, studio arts, architecture and design, arts management, theatre arts technology, and others fields) are the means for bringing individual ideas into being. Considering the Mythic Origins theme, this exhibition will introduce a nascent community college program in the creative industries and the technologies.

    This exhibit will provide visitors with a creative build on Mythic Origins that will additionally have visual resources and links to online resources for Front Range Community College’s (FRCC) new Bachelors of Applied Science for Business in the Creative Industries (BCI) Program. https://www.frontrange.edu/programs-courses/program-list/creative-industries-bas.html

    Sponsors

    LL - Linden Lab

    Second Life is a vast virtual world where users can explore, discover, and create. It offers a myriad of experiences, from music clubs and roleplaying communities to virtual cinemas, providing an always surprising and engaging environment. It’s an inclusive space for self-expression and community building, where users can also shop in a virtual marketplace, earning real profits. The platform facilitates remote meetings with fun virtual spaces, trusted by leading companies and educators for over a decade. For more information, visit Second Life.

    Created by Linden Lab – Linden Lab is a San Francisco-based internet company most famous for creating Second Life, an online virtual world launched in 2003. The company was founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale to create a revolutionary virtual world that would allow users to live out alternative lives in a virtual setting. In Second Life, users, through their avatars, can explore vast landscapes, meet other users, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade virtual property and services, and much more, effectively simulating a complex virtual economy and society.

    Over the years, Linden Lab has continued to develop and expand Second Life, maintaining its position as one of the most popular and enduring virtual worlds on the internet. The platform has been used for a wide range of purposes, including socializing, entertainment, education, and business, due to its highly versatile environment that allows users to create and experience almost anything they can imagine.

    Beyond Second Life, Linden Lab has experimented with other projects and products, though none have reached the same level of success and recognition. The company’s focus on digital worlds and virtual economies has kept it at the forefront of discussions about virtual reality, online communities, and the potential for digital spaces to offer rich, immersive experiences.

    Linden Lab’s work has paved the way for discussions about the metaverse, a collective virtual shared space, and has influenced a wide range of virtual reality and online social platforms that have followed.

    RU - Rockcliffe University Consortium

    Rockcliffe University Consortium is an online organization dedicated to advancing technology in education. It focuses on making technology accessible for adult education, aiming for affordability and scalability. Rockcliffe supports service and education in 3D virtual environments, providing public education on overcoming the learning curve associated with virtual collaborative workspaces. Their offerings include forums, seminars, and educational programs on 3D content development, workspace effectiveness, and the social implications of virtual environments, with a particular focus on how these environments impact knowledge emergence and transfer. For more information, you can visit their website at Rockcliffe University Consortium.

    VA - Virtual Ability, Inc.

    Virtual Ability, Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports individuals with a range of disabilities to engage and thrive in online virtual worlds. Since 2007, it has been providing a community enriched with educational, social, and entertainment opportunities, alongside peer support. The organization collaborates with professionals for virtual world research, positioning itself as a leader in services, employment, and accessibility information for people with disabilities in these digital spaces. For more information, visit Virtual Ability.

    WBH - Ageless Mind Project

    The Ageless Mind Project aims to foster an ageless mind through a dynamic way of being, characterized by alertness, curiosity, flexibility, optimism, playfulness, creativity, reflection, and connection. It promotes healthful aging by offering individualized approaches to wellbeing, intergenerational conversations, and a wide range of topics on its Substack blog.

    The project also explores wellbeing in the metaverse through its virtual arm, Whole Brain Health, focusing on enhancing cognitive functioning for people aged 50 and older.

    For more information, visit Ageless Mind Project.

    AD - Agile Dimensions

    Agile Dimensions offers support to teams through ScrumMaster roles, training, and coaching, with a focus on large scale enterprise teams and distributed collaboration. The company brings over 20 years of experience in programming, performance, project management, training, and enterprise coaching, having worked with significant entities in the financial and healthcare industries.

    The expertise includes applying agile project management techniques since 2001 and teaching them to over 2,000 people worldwide. Agile Dimensions is known for presenting at key industry conferences and for developing the Agile Journey Index assessment technique.

    The company boasts the ‘grand slam’ of all four advanced level Agile certifications, including the Scaled Agile Framework SPC, ScrumMaster (CSM) and ScrumMaster Professional (CSP), PMI’s Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), and ICAgile Expert Agile Coach (ICP-AC). It continues to enhance its coaching skills through advanced studies in facilitation and education technology.

    Agile Dimensions also hosts the Distributed Agile Study Group and participates actively in professional communities related to agile project management, training, and coaching. The approach is not just focused on courses but on collaborating to significantly improve team results.

    https://www.agiledimensions.com/blog/

    Porch - HireAHelper

    HireAHelper offers a service guarantee, including free cancellation with a 24-hour notice and 7-day-a-week customer support. Customers have rated their experiences with HireAHelper an average of 4.8 stars out of 5.0, based on 262,882 reviews. The reviews highlight the movers’ professionalism, efficiency, and care for belongings, with services ranging from loading and unloading to full moves, including providing moving containers and trucks​​.

    Porch - Porch.com

    Porch.com is a home services platform that connects homeowners with local professionals for home improvement, maintenance, and repair projects. It offers a wide range of services, from contractors and cleaners to movers and landscapers, aiming to simplify the process of finding and booking trusted home service professionals. For more details, please visit Porch.com.

    JOVS - Journal of Virtual Studies

    The Journal of Virtual Studies (JoVS), hosted by Rockcliffe University Consortium, is dedicated to exploring the use of virtual spaces in education. It aims to stimulate learning through multimodal platforms, consider human interaction (both simulated and real), break barriers to education with innovative spaces, prepare learners for digital literacy, and encourage new assessment methods within authentic contexts. JoVS was a biannual, peer-reviewed publication focusing on education across all ages in virtual spaces. For more details, visit JoVS.

    KC - Knomaze Corporation

    Knomaze Corporation specializes in information management and IT consultation, helping government and companies enhance competitiveness since 1997. They focus on knowledge management, business strategy, strategic analysis, change management, project management, and business process re-engineering, achieving measurable productivity improvements for clients​​.