The Virtual Worlds Graduate UnSymposium 2011: Games, Play and Community
www.vw.unsymposium.org
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 4-6, 2011.
Virtual Worlds Graduate UnSymposium is a community building event that provides opportunities for graduate students, alumni, and educators to share innovative practices, network with colleagues, and explore opportunities for professional development, enhancing research, teaching, and learning. This UnSymposium is particularly interested in works in progress, sessions that provide ample opportunity for symposiast participation, and cutting edge uses of technology in education, research, and virtual worlds.
Details after the jump
The Theme for 2011 is Games, Play and Community.
This is a fully online, free conference. Conference location will be in Second Life, Jokaygrid, World of Warcraft and other locations based on speaker and participant request.
The Virtual Worlds Graduate UnSymposium welcomes graduate work, presentations, facilitated discussions and non-traditional presentations from everyone. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):
1) Games and Virtual Worlds -What are you researching and what are you learning? Tell us what virtual worlds and games are out there. Please consider submitting discussions, thought pieces and experiments also. Potential topics include:
The Future of Education in Games and Virtual Worlds
Assessing and Evaluating Games and Virtual Worlds
Alternate Reality Games
Augmented Reality and Gaming
Games Design for the Classroom
Teaching through Games
Mobile Games
Case Studies of Games
Exploration of New Games
Hybrids or Games that allow content creation
When the line blurs – virtual worlds/games
Mixed Reality Games
Storytelling and Narratives in Games
Serious Games and Simulations
2) Play – What are you playing? How are you and your students playing? What opportunities, networks, tools and techniques are available for learning and play? The focus is on the discovery of those opportunities, for play, learning, research, practices your colleagues should know. Potential topics include:
Immersion
Reward Systems In Games
Pointification
Leveling
Player Motivation and Learning
Player Types/Student Learning Styles
Reward Typologies
Strategy and Tactics
Roleplay
Puppetmaster
This is Not at Game
Identity in Games
Avatars and Toons
PVE, PVP and Roleplay – Can’t We All Get Along
Hero’s Journey and Archtypes in Games
Grinding, Equipment and Loot
What is a LEET player and how do they learn
Strategy and Tactics
Overcoming Challenges
When Cheating Really Isn’t
3) Community – You’re not playing alone. So share what types of communities you are playing with and what type of communities you see developing when your students play. Potential topics include:
Machinima as a way of sharing with the Community
Games as Shared Narratives
Mentors and Elders in Games
Gaming and Networking
Social Networks and Social Capital
The Social Gamer
Gaming as a Community
Casual Game Play as a Community Building
Reciprocity and Altruism in Games
Cohorts in MMORPGs
Guilds and Community Building
Game Culture
Proposals are welcome from any and all. Please be creative, fun and engaging! Also, unusual formats, technologies, and the like are encouraged. Preferences will be given to proposals that utilize unusual formats, innovative technology and encourage participation from the symposiasts. Proposals about and in Virtual Worlds and MMORPGs other than Second Life are welcome.
The Program Group will be working with all presenters to assist in developing a singular and engaging experience for all participants. http://vw.unsymposium.org/cfp- 2011
To submit, please email vw.symposium@gmail.com. Your proposal should be a doc, docx, or rtf by October 15, 2011. If you have any questions please email vw.symposium@gmail.com