The past month has seen a flurry of activity with Ken Hudson speaking at several conferences. First in Washington, D.C. at the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds, then in Banff, AB, at the CNIE conference, where Ken was joined by Loyalist College professor Lorne Thompson, and then concluding with a keynote address at the Leading Learning Conference in Toronto. The Loyalist projects in Second Life were very well received at all these events. 

Video document of the Canadian Border Simulation created by VWDC for faculty at Loyalist College. Already a popular topic for speaking engagements, the Border Sim is also gaining some recognition within the Second Life community, including a recent post on New World Notes.

It is a busy launch month for the team at the VWDC. Ken Hudson and Mark Kirkpatrick participated in Orion@5 at MaRS in Toronto, March 31st. The afternoon event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Orion network, that broadband giant of which Loyalist College is a member, and it allowed the team to showcase their work in Second Life. Among the distinguished visitors was John Wilkinson, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation. Thanks to Andre and Tamara at Orion for inviting us to demonstrate our virtual worlds at the event.

After a day in Toronto, what about six days in New York City, for the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo. Once again, this conference lived up to its billing to bring together the top minds and leaders in the virtual world field. Keynotes by Sibley Verbeck, CEO Electric Sheep, and Reuben Steiger Millions of Us, topped off two full days of sessions about marketing, new virtual worlds, and legal issues surrounding bringing your brand into virtual worlds. Another great conference, and key for catching up with our strategic partners like Christopher Keesey, Ohio University, Bill May from State, and Fleep Toque from U Cincinnati who captured a pic of Ken using his blackberry on the couch. So, if it was a two day conference, why were you there for six? Give us a break, it’s New York!

Back from NYC and into the frying pan, VWDC stages two full demos of our Canadian Border Simulation, including a big event with the CBSA in Ottawa. Ken is back in Toronto April 15 for a meeting with Beal Institute for Strategic Creativity at OCAD. The week of the 20th we are in DC for the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds conference. Ken Hudson will speak on our border sim. Then Ken is in Banff speaking at the CNIE conference, and then in Toronto doing a keynote for Leading Learning.

The Virtual World Design Centre at Loyalist College has been awarded the Colleges Ontario Innovation Award for 2008. As the first Canadian college to establish an on-line campus, Loyalist College in Second Life is recognized for the innovative learning opportunities it provides students. Loyalist College’s development in Second Life helps meet students’ demand for a new value equation that is significantly affecting the learning culture. Students are engaged in the learning process as active participants, collaborating to ensure content is timely, relevant and memorable. The role of the institution shifts from purveyor of information to facilitator. As Canada’s first college to establish a ‘virtual’ online college, Loyalist College is recognized for the innovative learning opportunities it provides. The creation of environments and experiences in Second Life were developed by the in-house team at the Virtual World Design Centre, who continue to expand the possibilities in virtual worlds for Loyalist, as well as for other clients who count on the VWDC for their expertise and award winning approach to design and implementation of virtual world projects. Infinite Space: Virtual World Design Centre • Loyalist College 

The Virtual World Design Centre at Loyalist College provides expert consultation and design services for organizations establishing a presence in virtual worlds like Second Life. Loyalist College has distinguished itself as a leading creator of educational and interactive simulations in Second Life. After many requests from other groups for assistance in creating virtual spaces, Loyalist College established the VWDC to extend our expertise outward to enable other organizations and institutions in education, business, and government to achieve a high degree of competency in virtual worlds, even on an initial project. The Virtual World Design Centre applies excellence in design, architecture, experiential creation, building and scripting, to create engaging environments for training, marketing and promotion, symposia and conferences, and a range of other opportunities in emerging virtual world platforms. Infinite Spaces: Virtual World Design Centre.