8th Annual VCARA Conference – April 19, 2017

VCARA Blog

Published: April 3, 2017

The conference will begin at the Ampitheatre on iSchool Island in Second Life. SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/45/123/33

Join VCARA for our 8th Annual VCARA Conference on April 19, 2017 from 6pm-8:30pm SLT (Second Life Time/Pacific). This year’s theme is Virtual Worlds: Through Space and Time. Please arrive in garb from your favorite time period (take inspiration from any time and place in the past or present), or come dressed as your favorite historical figure. Futuristic and fantasy costumes as well as characters from your favorite time travel novels or films are also welcome if your favorite time period does not exist in this world!

The conference will begin at the Ampitheatre on iSchool Island in Second Life. SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/9/51/44

This year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Leticia De León (Letty Luckstone in Second Life) and Kyle Gomboy (G2 Proto in Second Life).

Leticia De León teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the Teaching and Learning Department at UTRGV, working primarily with pre-service and in-service teachers. Her research focuses on adult learners and how online technologies impact their learning, engagement, and motivation. She is also Program Chair and Executive Director for the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference. De León is currently engaged in research and service with Rockcliffe University Consortium and its online Digital Course Instructor Certificate.

Keynote Presentation Title: Motivating Learning Through Mixed Realities
Abstract: Mixed realities are the new norm in education. However, current methodologies miss the mark when focusing on the novelty of virtual and augmented realities rather than creating successful conditions and context to engage learners. This presentation focuses on the possibilities of mixed realities to create meaningfully vibrant contexts for maximizing learner engagement with information.

Kyle Gomboy is the CEO and Founder of Wavelength Studios, 2013-present. He is a virtual world developer currently focused on Augmented & Mixed Reality using Microsoft’s HoloLens. Gomboy is also involved with the Open Source Unity3D Virtual World, the creation of a Virtual Hospital and Virtual Manufacturing Plant, Collaborative 3D Engineering, Arduino 3D, and Rockcliffe University Consortium.

Keynote Presentation Title: Digital Storytelling Using Mixed Reality Holograms
Abstract: There are many aspects to consider in developing a 3D virtual world for Microsoft’s HoloLens. This presentation focuses on the digital storytelling aspect of developing a 3D virtual world for HoloLens, offers an example of digital storytelling for the HoloLens, and will have a Q&A portion for participants to share thoughts and ask questions on the different ways the Microsoft’s HoloLens may be used in the future.

Master of Ceremony: Dr. Pat Franks

Dr. Patricia C. Franks is the iSchool’s MARA Program Coordinator. She has presented at numerous conferences on a variety of topics, including social media, information governance, and virtual internships.  Her work in virtual worlds resulted in the creation of the Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration (VCARA) on iSchool Island.  Dr. Franks is a Certified Archivist, Certified Records Manager, and Information Governance Professional who is active in ARMA International and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA).

Mini-Presenters: Dr. Valerie Hill, Scott Anstadt, Renne Emiko Brock, Andrew Wheelock, Brant Knutzen, Alyse Dunavant-Jones, Josh Zimmerman, and Kevin Feenan

These 10-minute presentations will cover a range of physical world and virtual world topics including Digital Curation, Digital Citizenship, Health, Gamification, Archives, and Libraries. For details, check out the 8th Annual VCARA Conference Schedule!


All presentations will be recorded and captioned. For previous VCARA Conference footage, check out our YouTube channel! To tour past VCARA Conference presentations in Second Life, visit VCARA’s Archivium on iSchool Island: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SJSU%20SLIS/9/51/44 (tall building beside the Amphitheatre–each floor represents a past conference!)

For information about joining VCARA in Second Life, please refer to our VCARA for Newbies blog post. To request an orientation to Second Life and/or VCARA, please email Dr. Pat Franks (patricia.franks@sjsu.edu). To follow VCARA on social media, check out our VCARA on Social Media page.

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