Published: March 12, 2015

The San Jose State School of Information will offer an immersive learning course this summer in the virtual world of Second Life. The course is: 287-10 – Virtual Worlds: Moving Through Time and Space: U.S. Revolutionary War.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A CURRENT STUDENT TO TAKE THIS COURSE. You can take this course through the open education initiative. A minimum of 12 students is required for the course to run. For more information on how to sign up through the open education initiative, go to http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/programs/ischool-open-classes/enrollment

This course will immerse students in the United States Revolutionary War (1700-1790). Students will meet or become one of the fascinating characters of this period or a fictional character living in the U.S. Colonial Period. Take on the role of General George Washington, Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere, a fictional settler, Mary Musgrove or any number of historic figures as the class discusses and re-enacts historic events such as the Boston Tea Party, and signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Based on research conducted into the events taking place during the Colonial Period, students will create and participate in an immersive role-playing experience. The experience will introduce how a virtual world can create community and teach students an innovative way to serve as leaders in portraying knowledge, history and documents in creative and educational ways using virtual world technologies.

Students from previous courses will hold an open house in Second Life on Thursday April 16 from 6-7:30 pm Pacific time. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the immersive environment in which they will be taking the course which was built by students, talk to other students who have taken similar courses, and hear speakers on immersive learning.

New to Second Life? If so, we can help you become familiar with Second Life and the VCARA space through our Orientation program. Scheduled orientations sessions:

Monday, March 16 at 5:00 pm SLT

Thursday, March 26 at 7:00 pm SLT

Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 am SLT

Sunday, April 12 at 2:00 pm SLT

Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00 pm SLT

Saturday, May 9 at 11:00 am SLT

Details on our orientation program at https://ischool.sjsu.edu/vcara-blog-activities-and-events

Register to attend one of these dates or to arrange an individual appointment by contacting Jane Awesome (Kerri Keil in real life) at JaneAwesomeVCARA@gmail.com

Watch the SJSU iSchool website for more information on registration. http://ischool.sjsu.edu

For more information on the course, please contact Lori Bell at lbell927@gmail.com.