What would YOU like to see on a virtual university campus?

Why?

Is the letter before "zed" in the alphabet.

Pep ("zee" was invented for a kid's rhyme)

'cause swing that way. Why not?=^-^=

I guess you missed post #37? There ARE people who've posted serious replies.

Heh... That would spoil the fun of poking at people for going online to socialize. =^-^=

The only good reason to go online is to criticize.

Finally.. a kindred spirit..

Get the hell away from me!

Love's got a boyfriend....Love's got a boyfriend........

Don't fight it Ms Hastings.. come over to the dark side.

I've always liked Star Wars, from the moment I heard Yoda speak thus..

"Size matters not"

Like I said in my first response... the thing I'd most want to see in a virtual university is real students.

Which I very much appreciate.

Thank you to all whose intent was to be helpful in your replies. :}

The original post was a bit vague. No whining about the array of responses please.

Not intending to whine.

I should probably have been more clear in saying that the main focus of the campus is educational/informational in direct connection to the actual university. And I believe that there are some long-distance learning classes that may be held there as well. There is a variety of uses the campus will be used for, hence I left my first post so open. An open RP location is not the primary intent, but I don't think there would be any opposition to people doing that of their own accord, should they desire to, once it is launched to the public.

I guess I am thinking primarily about what would be useful to a university student specifically, but I don't want to disregard the general public or educators or whoever either. Like I said, we are still figuring out what we want/need in this extension into virtual.

And I have gleaned a lot of useful things from pieces of this thread so far, so really, thank you. :}

I have done my share of exploring and shopping around SL on my own time for my own interests, as well, long before this project was presented to me at the college, so I am not entirely disconnected from SL culture(s). I just haven't been forum-active. I understand that not being entirely segregated from the rest of the SL community is important.

Whatever you need to tell yourself.

Well if you wanted relevant replies, yes. This is a huge difference from, say, a university roleplay sim. (resists naming one or two that are probably not at ALL what you had in mind. )



Then all replies should've been helpful, not only the 'serious' ones...I do think that making it a fun, pleasant place will make learning there more attractive regardless - like a real university. There are some highly silly activities sanctioned by the best places of learning, so students can blow off steam.



Might wanna visit some "university roleplay sims" and make sure of that...or at least so you can word "roleplay rules" carefully. ;p

Good luck with it. (Btw my reply was actually serious too...sort of.)

I have.

And your replies were part of what I considered the "useful" group, believe it or not. ;}

1 user is amazed.

Not saying by which statement.

Bugger.

My apologies to the OP but I don't have anything to suggest within your parameters: the mix of RL and SL puts me in mind of a feed of custard and tinned mackerel (with tomato sauce) I ate for a bet at college once.

I was thinking that a university based on SL itself would be a great asset to the community. In my experience, the University of Caledon Oxbridge is already proving to be a very handy reference for puzzled newbies: I've had one or two 'Thank You' IMs for just passing out the landmark.

It would be great to see a good sim like that expanded to incorporate others such as The Particle Laboratory, The Ivory Tower and Robin Sojourner's Texture Tutorials. A Faculty of Scripting would be a useful addition (anywhere in SL, now that I think of it). The Long Now Foundation might provide a good corollary of a Faculty of Philosophy if they pulled up their metaphorical socks in SL a little. Something like the Resident Answers forum would make a great common room for students.

On the quality of their posts here and elsewhere, I think several regular posters on this forum would make excellent tutors: Professors Barnett, Cale, Deakins, Few, Singer, Stonecutter and Zetkin anyone? They wouldn't have to do much once the place is up and running, of course - apart from marking papers every few months or so.

It occurs to me this would be a massive undertaking but an institution like this could be very influential in raising standards in-world, especially if it were to issue 'degrees' and 'diplomas' or even 'Masters' according to the proficiency of students.

I for one would be much happier to purchase an item from a creator who has a Masters Degree in scripting from a reputable source.

But if you are studying for a SL Masters degree inworld, does that mean you have to pester people in RL with surveys for your thesis?

Yeah. Go fer it. F@ck em if they can't take a joke!

SL university for SL things would be useful, I learn by doing not by tutorials.

The OP sounds like they work for a RL place though and was told to make a place for them in SL.

given grid stability, and client software requirements, I doubt distance learning courses are a great idea (unless the course is centered on the SL virtual world paradigm). very problematic would be a polite way of putting it... VERY polite.

I'll reiterate my previous post (#34 for those paying attention to such things)

"as an actual representation of and for a University, I'd say the best things to see would be a virtual tour built off actual pictures of the place, with people there. throw in student generated cultural notes, things like "X club/frat/sor/group meets here at this time kinda info... things that a webpage ISN'T going to show."

or in essence use the environment to offer something that isn't available in other formats like web pages... not just a tired rehashing of the same content available in simpler venues. don't look at it as another place to put the same old information, look at what can be accomplished here, that isn't available in your other formats, otherwise it'll be just another empty sim draining financial resources because all it's content can be accessed with more ease elsewhere.

use the uniqueness.

I think that's a brilliant idea (if executed well) but I am bound by what the university wants from me in this particular situation. Some well-versed and talented SLers should definitely jump on that and do it.


That is the goal. Hence the research on what would interest people. A static, boring reproduction of what's been done already would be a waste of time and expenses.

The trouble is they're such a bunch of curmudgeons (another perversely appropriate qualification) that I very much doubt they are susceptible to flattery.