Duke CIT Instructional Technology Showcase 2009 » 8:40-9:20

Windows on complexity: Artificial life, artificial culture, evolutionary computation

ackc — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:00:26 +0000

Nicholas Gessler, Information Science & Information Studies

What if you could create your own world, which followed your own rules, a world with agents whose perceptions and behaviors you designed, who lived in environments that you constructed? What if you could put evolution to work inside that world? How would that society change through time? In ISIS (Information Science & Information Studies) 72, in LINK Classroom #6, and as part of the Visual Studies Initiative at Duke, we do just that. We build highly interactive, visually compelling computer simulations that introduce participants to the philosophies and practices of the emerging “New Sciences of Complexity” and “Evolutionary Computation.” Most students began with no previous programming and yet all of them have fashioned creative and imaginative experimental worlds relevant to the biological and social sciences, the humanities and arts. Come see what we have done and where we’re going next.

Update on the Duke Digital Initiative (DDI)

ackc — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:40:18 +0000

Lynne O’Brien (Director, CIT) and Samantha Earp (Director, Academic Services, OIT) will describe the 2008-09 Duke Digital Initiative (DDI) programs and their outcomes briefly, and then will present an overview of the programs being supported through DDI in 2009-2010.

Exploring MUVEs: Teaching foreign language and culture in Second Life

riddlera — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:56:38 +0000

Giuliana Perco, Romance Studies

What are the possible educational advantages and/or disadvantages of teaching in a MUVE (multi-user virtual environment)? While not trying to answer such a broad question, this presentation will discuss a hands-on exploration of the educational potentials of “Second Life” in enhancing foreign language learning. The aim of the project, that took place over two consecutive semesters, was both to appeal to students’ familiarity with virtual social networks and to make them come into contact with virtual cultural resources and artifacts and with native speakers met in the “Second Life”. Works and responses by students will be presented to discuss how and to what extent activities and assignments to be completed in a MUVE could (or could not) enrich language learning and whether the outcome was worth the time and energy needed in the endeavor.

PDF of presentation

The Virtual Peace Project

riddlera — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:54:25 +0000

Richard Lucic, ISIS and Computer Science

Virtual Peace: Turning Swords to Ploughshares brings together digital learning technologies and international humanitarian assistance efforts. Students and educators enter an immersive, multi-sensory game-based environment that simulates real disaster relief and conflict resolution conditions in order to learn first-hand the necessary tools for sensitive and timely crisis response.

PDF for this presentation

Visit the Virtual Peace website