‏הצגת רשומות עם תוויות Association of Virtual Worlds. הצג את כל הרשומות
‏הצגת רשומות עם תוויות Association of Virtual Worlds. הצג את כל הרשומות

מטה איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי ב Web3D | תמונות ראשונות וקול קורא



תמונות ראשונות ממטה איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי הוירטואלי התלת ממדי, דוגמה לשימוש בדור הבא של האינטרנט, ה Web3D.

אודות איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי
איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי הוא המקום שבו עולמות וירטואליים, משחקים, רשתות חברתיות וכל אלה המעוניינים לחקור את הפוטנציאל הטכנולוגי והעסקי שלהם מתחברים ביחד. איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי מאמין שהעולמות הוירטואליים מייצגים מהפכה טכנולוגית ומידע המשנה באופן משמעותי את האופנים שבהם אנו עובדים, משחקים וחיים. משימת האיגוד העולמי היא לשרת חברות וארגונים כמו גם אנשים פרטיים שבחרו להקדיש את עצמם לפיתוח התעשייה, שמגלגלת עשרות מיליוני דולארים, כמו גם להגיע לאלה שאינם מצויים ברזי העולמות הוירטואליים.
ההצטרפות לאיגוד איננה כרוכה בתשלום.


קול קורא CoNeE הכנס הוירטואלי של איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי
בשבוע האחרון של חודש פברואר יתקיים הכנס הוירטואלי הראשון של איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי CoNeE. המעוניינים להציג נושא, מאמר או להציג פיתוח מקורי מוזמנים ליצור עימי קשר .


הכותב, ד"ר חנן גזית, עומד בראש MetaverSense הפועלת בעולמות וירטואליים ומשחקים דיגיטאליים ומתמחה בייעוץ, הדרכה ופיתוח פרויקטים לקהל לקוחותיה: משקיעים ויזמים, חברות, מוסדות וארגונים במגזר הפרטי והציבורי. ד"ר גזית הינו יועץ לאיגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי AVW ומייסד די.ג.ר.ה ישראל- המרכז הישראלי של הארגון הבינלאומי לחקר משחקים דיגיטאליים. חבר מערכת כתב העת הבינלאומי למשחקים וסימולציות נתמכות מחשב. חוקר ומרצה ב H.I.T - מכון טכנולוגי חולון.


Association of Virtual Worlds’ First "totally Virtual" Conference CoNeE announced | הכנס הראשון של איגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי

Serving on the Association of Virtual Worlds (AVW) Advisory Board, I’m trilled to share with you the latest news: The Association of Virtual Worlds announces its first “totally virtual” conference to be held February 20 through 26, 2009. The Conference, Networking and Expo, affectionately dubbed “CoNeE” will offer a full seven days of events, exhibits and networking without the cost of travel or hotels and with less wear and tear on both the stress levels of attendees and the environment. The conference will take place in the Association’s newly created closed beta 3D virtual environment.

“It is the natural progression for this vibrant organization that is a magnet for the best and the brightest in the virtual worlds and web 3D industry,” says Founder, Edita Kaye.

David Elchoness, Executive Director, explains the enormous value of a virtual conference. “We have put together this list of the benefits of our approach, but of all the things we do, we are the most proud of breaking the classic conference time barrier, of being able to save our members and exhibitors those two precious commodities–money and time–while helping to save the planet.”

10 Benefits of AVW’s CoNeE:

1. Open 24/7 around the clock and around the world–forget 9 to 5
2. Multilingual meetings with international industry representatives
3. Global attendance, sponsors, speakers, networking
4. Unlimited passes for clients, prospects, staff teams
5. Unrestricted networking opportunities
6. Dedicated showcase and product demonstrations gallery
7. All attendees, speakers, media, enter through exhibit halls
8. Offers significant savings by eliminating all travel and travel-related expenses
9. Rested and energized avatars, rather than stressed and exhausted delegates
10. “Green” conference–reduce the carbon footprint–and do something good for the world

In just six months the AVW attracted over 2,370 members, established a publishing division, launched the closed beta for its virtual headquarters using cutting edge, and highly accessible, web3D technology,was first to create Virtual Worlds Day (August 20), the Virtual Person of the Year Award, a powerful network of Global Ambassadors and attracted some of the industry’s most respected and influential leaders to its Advisory Board.

To learn about sponsorship and marketing opportunities at CoNeE, or to learn more out the Association of Virtual Worlds please visit: www.AssociationofVirtualWorlds.com

AVW’s CoNeE 2009 Call for Speakers

As a community organization, AVW invite members to submit a panel, lecture, or presentation proposal for consideration. Although the AWV cannot accept all submissions, it will strive to review them all thoroughly and choose those that the AVW believe best reflect the memberships' interests as a global organization seeking to advance virtual worlds.

Please send in your submission in the following subject areas by October 1, 2008.

  • Business & Marketing of Virtual Worlds
  • Security, Property & Standards
  • Virtual Worlds Around the Real World
  • Technology of the Virtual World
  • Learning and Working in Virtual Worlds
  • What the Future Holds for Virtual Worlds

As part of your submission, kindly include the following:

  • A brief description of your proposed presentation;
  • Whether the presentation will run 60 or 90 minutes;
  • Whether the proposal is for a panel, lecture, or some other form of presentation;
  • A listing of any proposed panelists or participants (no more than four in total); and
  • Complete details concerning your qualifications (and those of all other panelists) to present on the subject including name(s), company(ies) or other affiliation(s), email address(es), and physical address(es), and curriculum vitae, resume, or other background information.

AVW Mission Statement

The Association of Virtual Worlds believes that virtual worlds represent a major information and technological revolution in how we work, play and live. The Association mission is to serve those companies and individuals who are dedicated to the advancement of this multi-billion dollar global industry and reach out to those who have not yet found virtual worlds.

AVW Goals

  1. To create a forum for the discussion of issues affecting the industry
  2. To assist in the development of industry procedures and standards
  3. To promote the virtual worlds industry, its interest and developments
  4. To educate on the benefits of virtual worlds to enhance work and play
  5. To offer business and social networking opportunities

Where Google Lively and Facebook meet Metacafe | Dr. Hanan Gazit Lecture @ Entrepreneurs Club, 29 July 2008

"There is life beyond Second Life, Were Google Lively and Facebook meets Metacafe"
Google Lively represent an important landmark in the shift towards the next gen of the internet, the Web3D, where Massively Multiplayer On-line Games (MMOGs), social networks, and three-dimensional virtual worlds, are merging to form the Web3D.

The Association of Virtual Worlds recently published a guide which contains over 250 3D virtual worlds operating or currently under development (AVW, 2008). Forrester Research recent forecast stated that "Web3D will evolve during the next five to seven years from an immature emerging market to a standards-based, interoperable global environment", urging its clients to start experimenting with Web3D despite the infancy of the medium.

My lecture at the Entrepreneurs Club will focus on the Web3D future business potential and its technological challenges. Business models of leading virtual worlds will be presented together with other Web3D and MMOG's platforms and few practical tips for making real money from virtual goods !-)

For more info and registration [in Hebrew] follow the link below:

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Dr. Hanan "VRider" Gazit is the owner of ViMentors professional consulting and production services for investors, companies and organizations interested in using virtual worlds and video games for business, marketing, training & instruction. Professional analyzing interactions services for better decision making and performance.

Web3D for Higher Education: Real potential or just an illusion? | Dr. Hanan Gazit Lecture at The 6th Annual MEITAL National Conference 6th August 2008

I will present Web3D for Higher Education: Real potential or just an illusion?
at the coming Inter-University Center for e-Learning (IUCEL), 6th Annual MEITAL National Conference, on 6th of August 2008, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.

By: Dr. Hanan Gazit

Persentation Introduction
Massively Multiplayer On-line Games (MMOGs), social networked, and three-dimensional virtual worlds (3D), are merging to form the Web3D. The Association of Virtual Worlds recently published a guide which contains over 250 3D virtual worlds operating or currently under development (AVW, 2008), and Forrester Research recent forecast stated that "Web3D will evolve during the next five to seven years from an immature emerging market to a standards-based, interoperable global environment", urging its clients to start experimenting with Web3D despite the infancy of the medium (Driver et al., 2008). My presentation will focus on the Web3D potential for higher education.

The Academia is catching up with the current trend of the industry, as major high tech companies such as IBM, Intel and Sun Micro Systems, to name a few, are developing programs in SL (Gronstedt, 2007). Over 200 colleges and universities around the world are exploring the educational potential of SL (Kelton, 2007). For example, Harvard Law School's CyberOne uses SL for collaborative public law learning (Nesson & Nesson, to appear), while Dubai's Women College uses SL for teaching healthcare and virtual commerce, as well as for cultural exchanges with other academic institutes. Moreover, digital games and virtual worlds can serve as a cognitive bridge between concrete experiences and scientific concepts, enabling students to cope with complex problem solving and high level thinking skills (Dede et al., 2005; Gazit, 2008). Likewise, de Freitas (2006) argued that game-based learning may provide new opportunities for reassessing how people learn and for supporting the development of new immersive spaces, where learners may produce their own materials, share learning experiences and practice skills of the real-world. However, at the same time de Freitas (2006) pointed out the need for conducting empirical studies on game based learning and their potential use in education.

Is it just an illusion?

A careful examination of the Web3D's is needed when considering its use for higher education. First, only a small number of administrators and instructors are experienced in virtual worlds and many others might doubt their academic relevance (Graetz, 2006). Second, setting up a Web3D entity, such as a SL Island, is very time-consuming. Hence, the possibility should be examined to see if the learning outcome can be achieved by using 2D regular websites or alternative 2.O platforms. Third, manipulating 3D objects and orienting in a 3D world can be difficult and frustrating (Gazit et al., 2006; BurigatCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding Authorand & Chittaro, 2007). Moreover, current technical problems and rendering issues, system sluggishness, and crashes that should be taken into account. Berge (2008) argues that "until educators figure out what to do in 3D virtual environments that cannot be more easily done in real life…educators in these virtual metaverses are relying on novelty and social presence to carry the day" (ibid, p. 30-31).

The question of whether the Web3D has a real educational value or is it just an illusion is waiting to unfold, but there is no doubt about the need for a coherent conceptual framework for studying its advantages and limitations.

References

Association of Virtual Worlds. (2008). The Blue Book A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds. 2d Edition. Available On line:http://www.associationofvirtualworlds.com/publishing_blue_book.htm
(Retrieved May 14, 2008)

Berge, Z. L. (2008). Multi-User Virtual Environments for Education and Training? A Critical Review of Second Life, Educational Technology, 27-31. Available On line: http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/ETSecLife.pdf
(Retrieved May 14, 2008)

Burigat, S., & Chittaro, L. (2007). Navigation in 3D virtual environments: Effects of user experience and location-pointing navigation aids, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 65 (11), 945-958.

De Freitas , S. (2006). Learning in Immersive Worlds: a review of game based Learning. JISC Review report. Available On line: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/eli_outcomes.html (Retrieved May 10, 2008)

Dede, C., Clarke, J., Ketelhut, D. J., Nelson, B., & Bowman, C. (2005). Students’ motivation and learning of Science in a Multi-User Virtual Environment. Presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA), (April 2005), (pp.11-15), Montreal, Canada.

Driver, E., Moore, C., Jackson, P., Keitt, T.J., & Schooley, C. (2008). Web3D: The Next Major Internet Wave. Available On line: http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,45257,00.html (Retrieved April 15, 2008)

Gazit, E. (2008). A window on digital games interactions in home settings. In: Ferdig, R. E (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education, (Vol 1, pp.127-145). IGI Global Press.

Gazit, E., Yair, Y., & Chen, D. (2006). The gain and pain in taking the pilot seat: Learning dynamics in a non immersive virtual solar system, Virtual Reality, 10 (3-4), 271-282.

Graetz, K. A. (2006).The psychology of learning environments. EDUCAUSE Review, 41 (6), 60–75. Available On line: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0663.pdf
(Retrieved May 12, 2008)

Gronstedt, A. (2007). Second Life produces real training results. T & D Magazine, 44–49. Available On line: http://www.learningcircuits.org/2007/0807gronstedt.html
(Retrieved May 10, 2008)

Kelton, A. J.(2007).Second Life: Reaching into the virtual world for real-world learning. ECAR Research Bulletin, 17. Available On line:http://www.educause.edu/ir/librar y/pdf/ecarso/erb/ERB0717.pdf
(Retrieved April 12, 2008)

Nesson, R., & Nesson, C. (to appear). In the Virtual Classroom: An Ethnographic Argument for Education in Virtual Worlds. Space and Culture. Sage Publications. 2008. Available On line: http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~shieber/Biblio/Papers/Nesson-2006-IPS.pdf (Retrieved May 10, 2008)



About The 6th Annual MEITAL National Conference

The MEITAL 2008 conference, in memory of the late Prof. Nechemia Levzion, will take place this year at the University of Haifa on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008. The conference will focus on the achievements and challenges in e-learning in higher education and on future development avenues.
The conference is a multi-participant, national gathering that is held once a year at one of the academic institutions that are members of MEITAL. The conference comprises a unique experience for a formal and informal professional meeting of all those involved in e-learning and e-teaching in higher education. It will include lectures dealing with the integration of e-learning in academic teaching in Israel, an exhibition of posters and presentations, round tables covering various areas of interest and specialization, workshops and more. The conference will provide diverse opportunities for social and professional encounters in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Members of the academic staff and others interested in e-learning in higher education institutions in Israel are invited to participate!

The conference's Program Committee is headed by Dr. Dani Ben-Zvi,
Head of the e-learning Center at the University of Haifa.

Israeli Group on Association of Virtual Worlds Announced


Dr. Hanan "Vrider" Gazit is delighted to announce the Israeli Group he formed on Association of Virtual Worlds . The Group will serve as a focal point for all Israelis which are interested to meet & mix (reality with virtual !-), learn and discuss business, technological and educational aspects of virtual worlds and to share their work/experiences.

About the Association of Virtual Worlds Mission Statement
The Association of Virtual Worlds is where virtual worlds, games, social networks, and those who wish to explore the technology, come together. The Association of Virtual Worlds believes that virtual worlds represent a major information and technological revolution in how we work, play and live. The Association mission is to serve those companies and individuals who are dedicated to the advancement of this multi-billion dollar global industry and reach out to those who have not yet found virtual worlds.

The Association of Virtual Worlds in Numbers, 22 of June 2008:

2112 members
2104 photos
152 videos
264 discussions
49 events
252 blog posts
Come Join- Play-Work-Enjoy and Make a real mark in the Virtual Worlds!
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Dr. Hanan "VRider" Gazit serves as the Israeli Games Research Association (DiGRA) Chapter. A researcher, lecturer and entrepreneur. Owner of a start-up company specializing in delivering services for Israeli investors, companies and organizations interested in using virtual worlds and video games for business, marketing & instruction. His research interests include: Analyzing virtual worlds and video games interactions; Designing effective serious games; Skills acquisition and virtual-real world transfer and New Media. He holds a Ph.D. degree in the Learning Sciences and a Magna Cum Laude M.A. degree in Science Education, both from Tel-Aviv University. A former post doctorate fellow researcher at the Virtual Reality Lab, Institute for Interdisciplinary Applications of Computer Science, University of Haifa. Dr. Gazit serves on the Association of Virtual Worlds` Advisory Board and on the Editorial Review Board of the International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations.