Clever Zebra

Examining healthcare in virtual worlds

Nick Wilson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:50:18 +0000

Despite the constraints of a very formal, academic style imposed at the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Margaret Hansen, of San Francisco School of Nursing has done a cracking job of overviewing virtual healthcare. The paper is Second Life-centric, and doesn't draw any firm conclusions on the effectiveness of virtual worlds in healthcare enducation but it does provide a good list of project examples as well as detailing some of the relevant theories attached to 3D learning environments.

Virtual 3-D learning environments may encourage active learning while students create and explore activities similar to those of a “field trip”, versus the experience of a static classroom setting. This reaching out and meeting new avatars and practicing communication skills in an aesthetic environment may help maintain today’s students’ interest in learning and provide valuable experiences that may enhance student engagement, promote participation, and motivate self-directed learning.

I'm not sure when this was written. I just caught it from Mal's feed but file this one with the recent BBC piece on UK paramedic students in Second Life - Good reading.

Clever Zebra Consulting

Nick Wilson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:32:07 +0000

Clever Zebra have been working with corporations in virtual worlds for almost 2yrs, which in virtual terms is a lifetime. If your company is considering virtual worlds as an enterprise tool for collaborative work, meetings or any other serious application, you should speak with us first.

Talk to us about:

Meetings and events
Training and education
Collaborative work
Simulations and process rehearsal
Open source alternatives to Second Life
Behind the firewall applications

Virtual consulting

As befits a virtual worlds organization, we prefer to consult virtually. We'll help you and your team to meet in 3D and discuss your project in an appropriate virtual environment.

It all starts with a conversation

To find out how we might help move your project forward, fill in the form below nad hit submit. We look forward to speaking with you!

Why Sun's Project Wonderland changes everything

Nick Wilson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:28:11 +0000

I've been a fan of Sun's Project Wonderland almost from the start. I've said many times that I think it's potentially a complete game changer in virtual worlds. Particularly for enterprise and edu. The overly techie, wikified code dump that is their website however makes a lot of folks' eyes glaze over before they've even had a chance to grasp it's full potential. The new Wonderland videos make it a lot quicker to understand.

Oh, and did I mention that Wonderland is free, and open source?

If you're not up to speed with Wonderland, do check out all 8 of the new videos. I think you'll find it hard not to see why this "little" Sun project will likely be hugely important to enterprise virtual worlds in 2009.

Picks and shovels

Nick Wilson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:35:35 +0000

It's becoming easier and easier to build white label virtual worlds. I can think of a half dozen ways just off the top of my head, and now Moondus enters the fray. I completely missed this announcement at last weeks conference but despite being a little shakey, the video doesn't look half bad.

Perceived Virtual Presence

Nick Wilson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:18:41 +0000

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a measurement for just how "real" virtual worlds

The researchers focused on developing a measurement tool specifically for business applications in the virtual world, noting that the productivity and effectiveness of workers interacting via these online environments is closely linked to how well the workers are able to feel as if they are in the virtual realm.

I don't see how they are basing that assertion in the Science Daily article above but it doesn't ring quite right with me. Are we more productive in "real" virtual worlds?

Stagnation in the enterprise virtual worlds space

Nick Wilson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:52:55 +0000

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the recent Virtual Worlds London show as the guest of Chris, Joey et al at Virtual Worlds Management this week. To say it was a mixed bag would be an understatement. The media, kids and games sessions where alive and vibrant, and absolutely full of excitement The enterprise sessions were lackluster, stale and unconvincing.

I don't think the problem was so much with the panelists themselves, or any fault of the organizers, it was just that the topics of conversation were old. There was nothing very new or exciting, no sense of moving forward. Many of the folks I spoke to voiced similar opinion.

One common topic was "get the damn techies out of here!". Enterprise "solutions" are still being provided by the techies, who frankly, are far more interested in what tricks they've managed to make the technology perform than what problems need to be solved. The other obvious theme was "getting this stuff into the browser".

I ended up playing truant to the enterprise tracks and attending the consumer focused sessions instead. That side of what we loosely term the "virtual worlds industry" was thrilling. The sessions "virtual worlds as interactive television" generated some excellent discussion which carried on in small pockets throughout the rest of the day.

So what's to become of enterprise virtual worlds? Not much it seems. Until we start to see simple, clean solutions that solve unambiguous, clearly defined problems we'll likely see further stagnation.

In some countries they'd cut yer virtual hand off!

Nick Wilson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:12:59 +0000

But not in the Netherlands, they just arrest you if you're caught stealing virtual goods. Astonishing. Apparently these kids beat up and threatened some other poor junior-neck-bearder to get his "magic amulet". Sheeesh..

Virtual Worlds headline of the week...

Nick Wilson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:03:44 +0000

And the winner is... Second Life Offers Business Teleconferencing, Now Penis-Free by Eric Krangel referring to the Linden/RRR announcement this week re Immersive Workspaces. I have to say I saw the video at the VW London conf and was somewhat less than convinced, as were others I spoke to but to be fair I've not tried it yet, it could just be tacky machinima and bad presentation to fault..

I sit like a girl

Nick Wilson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:59:03 +0000

It's true. I can't seem to help it. So Mrs W was only mildly worried when she found me sat cross legged at the desk today flitting around a magic forrest full of flowers wearing a pink dress and butterfly wings...

Caught by Joey's headline about Disney's pixie hollow launch I had to check it out, thinking it might be cool for my 4yr old. I loved it as it happens. The creation phase took a bit too long (particularly given kids attention spans) but there is just soooo much to say about point and click flash navigation vs several hours of pissing around with a techie interface...

Virtual Worlds to spin round the swirly toilet bowl of tech startup hell

Nick Wilson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:50:52 +0000

Or at least so says Christian. It's nice to have an excuse to link over to his new company. It's not all doom and gloom though...

If you have the capital on hand, Mr. Startup, this will be a great opportunity for you to take a market at wholesale prices. Wait about 12 more weeks, then hang out a sign that says 'we buy distressed VW startups with more than a million users' right on top of the one offering to purchase the technology assets of startups that could have disrupted your business model for the worse. Buy them and shelve them in that Indiana Jones warehouse next to the Ark of the Covenant. You'll be happy you did so soon enough.

An air of brittle desperation certainly seemed to hang around some of the startups I talked to at the recent VW London gig where enterprise interest seemed somewhat stale and stinky but virtual goods, games and kids worlds were overbrimming with enthusiasm.