Published: December 18, 2019 by Dr. Pat Franks

On December 14, 2019, eager spectators gathered to watch “Round 2″ of the VR vs VW Smackdown as part of the OpenSim Community Conference. 

The session featured a lively debate on the merits of virtual worlds and virtual reality! The first presenter, Marie Vans, argued that “VR is the future, and the future is now!” The second presenter, Bethany Winslow, cautioned that “Regardless of what VR platforms are used in the future, designers of effective immersive learning with VR must know the history of virtual worlds in education as well as have some hands-on experience in using them.”  The sparing partners were moderated by Dr. Valerie Hill, the director of the Community Virtual Library in Second Life, Avacon, and Kitely.