OpenSim Grids Growing apace – VLENZ Update, No 180, January 24, 2011

Is SL fading? The ‘Top 40′ OpenSim grids gain 529 regions in month Latest figures from Hypergrid Business The top 40 OpenSim grids gained 529 regions since mid-December, to reach a new high of 15,623 regions on January 15 of this month, according to  Maria Korolov  in her latest article in  Hypergrid Business. The full [...]

SLENZ Update, No 142, October 6, 2009

THE SLENZ WORKSHOPS AT Teaching and Learning/eFest 2009 Five lessons from the creation of education pilots  in Second Life SL’s Arwenna Stardust and RL’s Dr Clare Atkins make a point. The five SLENZ Project workshops attended by mainstream tertiary educators at  the  annual, national Teaching  and Learning/eFest 2009 conference, at UCOL, Palmerston North, New Zealand, [...]

SLENZ Update, No 141, October 6, 2009

THE SLENZ PROJECT SLENZ teams finds new ‘acceptance, enthusiasm’  at    education  gabfest … Need seen to retain team skills, post-SLENZ Project Almost full house … Aaron Griffiths details a Developer’s work. as the SLENZ Lead Developer/builder. Growing “acceptance” of Second Life as an education medium  and a new  “enthusiasm” for  virtual world education  was [...]

The SLENZ Update – No 72, April 28, 2009

No the SL sky is not falling in … Chicken Little got it wrong! Second Life  user hours are still growing Surrounded by negativity!!! It’s frightening how the world of “yellow  journalism” even if in its latest form of  blogs permeates  the thinking of otherwise  sensible individuals. It’s right to take precautions to lessen the [...]

The SLENZ Update – No 66, April 8, 2009

SLENZ PROJECT Foundation Learning Kowhai build begins The contrast between the build for The Birth Place (Te Waihi Whanau) and The Foundation Learning project’s new build is quite striking. There is a futuristic, almost organic building  growing out of the ground on the Kowhai Island, where the three-pilot   SLENZ Project – Midwifery, Foundation Learning and Orientation [...]

The SLENZ Update – No 4 September 1, 2008

Compiled/written by John Waugh/Johnnie Wendt How REAL can you get? Watch Emily describe her creation  and display her attitude We all want avatars that look real – although perhaps some of us don’t want them too look too real. Emily is an avatar who seems  to make virtual worlds almost as real as real can [...]

The SLENZ Update – No 2 August 15, 2008

“… five (virtual world) characteristics; immersion, customization, programmability, real-time interactivity and accessibility, combine to create an environment in which it is possible for anyone with the relevant skills to construct highly engaging activities that can enhance learning on many levels. It also lends itself to the construction of experiences that are a useful substitute for [...]