WORKSHOP ON COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
A one day workshop
University of Nottingham
Friday May 30th 1997
11:00 to 15:30
Introduction
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Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) involve the use of networked
virtual reality systems to support cooperation between groups of people.
CVEs have been a growing topic of research interest over recent years
and a number of commercial products and services are currently
emerging. This workshop has two aims:
* to present and discuss the results of the Inhabiting the Web
Project, an eighteen month programme of CVE trials over SuperJANET
funded by BT under the BT/JISC Research Collaboration Programme. This
project has staged a series of virtual meetings between five UK
universities and BT over SuperJANET using the MASSIVE system in order
to explore both usability and network usage issues. MASSIVE allows in
the order of ten mutually aware participants to freely navigate a
shared virtual world and to interact using real-time 3-D graphics,
audio and text media. The workshop will describe the project,
introduce the MASSIVE system and present the results of the project.
Hands on experience using MASSIVE will be available.
* to describe the new "Building a Virtual Campus" project which is
funded under the HEFCE JTAP programme. This project aims to deploy
CVEs within UK higher education. The workshop will present the goals
and structure of the project and aims to establish links to other
projects and individuals who might wish to become involved in future
trials in some way or who might with to evaluate the potential of
CVE technologies.
For more information see:
http://www.crg.cs.nott.ac.uk/crg/Projects/Inhabit/index.html (ITW)
http://www.crg.cs.nott.ac.uk/~cmg/MASSIVE (the MASSIVE system)
Provisional agenda
------------------
11:00 Introduction and welcome Steve Benford (Nottingham)
Overview of the ITW project Graham Walker (BT)
11:15 Introduction to CVEs and to Steve Benford (Nottingham)
the MASSIVE system Chris Greenhalgh (Nottingham)
Adrian Bullock (Nottingham)
12:00 Results of Network assessment Chris Greenhalgh (Nottingham)
(presentation and discussion)
12:30 Usability assessment exercises Jolanda Tromp (Nottingham)
(presentation and discussion)
13:00 Lunch and hands on demonstration
(a light buffet lunch will
be provided)
14:00 Overview of the Building a Tom Rodden (Lancaster)
Virtual Campus Project
14:30 Overview of the MASSIVE-2 system Chris Greenhalgh (Nottingham)
15:00 Final discussion and wind up Steve Benford (Nottingham)
15:30 Close
Followed by demonstration, hands-on
experience and technical discussion
for those who wish to stay behind
Coffee and Tea will be available in room 1114 from 10:30am, and the
workshop will take place in room 1209.
How to reach us
---------------
Maps and directions are available from
http://www.nott.ac.uk/univ/access.html
alternatively
... driving from the M1 motorway. Leave the M1 at Junction 25 and
follow signs to Nottingham. Cross three roundabouts at distances of
about a mile apart each. The first one is near a garden centre. The
second is weird; you cut straight across it. The third is by the
Priory pub/hotel. At the fourth, go right around it (so that you're
now heading away from Nottingham on the A52 instead of towards it) and
then immediately come of the small slip road into the University North
Entrance. You will see the Towerblock ahead (tallest building around
at 15 stories). Park near it (ha ha). Take the lift the the 11th
floor.
... by train. Take a taxi from the station to the North entrance and then
as above.
... by air. From East Midlands follow signs to Nottingham crossing the M1
motorway then as above. From Birmingham follow signs to the M1 motorway
(I think) then as above.
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Confirmation of attendance
Please email this form to Adrian Bullock ( anb@cs.nott.ac.uk )
if you wish to attend.
I/we confirm that I/we will be attending the Experiences with
Collaborative Virtual Environments workshop at Nottingham on
30th May 1997.
Name(s):
Affiliation(s):
Phone:
Email:
Any special diet or other requirements:
Interests: (it would be helpful if you would provide a short description
of your interests in this area and in this workshop).
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Cheers,
Adrian
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Adrian Bullock Department of Computer Science, University
a.bullock@cs.nott.ac.uk Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, England
Tel: +44 115 951 4225
Fax: +44 115 951 4254 WWW: http://www.crg.cs.nott.ac.uk/~anb