Virtcast – a New Word for New Content

In 2005, the word podcast was recognized as the word of the year. A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast).

Originally, podcasts were series of audio recordings, available on the web. However, after the rise of YouTube, video recordings become more popular. Today, podcast is an important type of web 2.0 content together with blog-posts and shared images on Flickr.

Web 2.0 content can be seen as a variety of recordings, as pieces of text in blogs and audio and video clips in podcasts.
Recently, another technology – 3D virtual worlds – also acquired its own type of recordings. A 2D video of virtual reality called Machinima (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima). It is a mix of such an old technology as video with a new technology of virtual reality. However, there is an opportunity to record activities in virtual reality as they are – in 3D, instead of making a flat projection, like in Machinima. How to call this new type of content? The content that differs markedly from the other existing types of recorded content by the opportunity to enter it, instead of watching though a window.

This is Virtcast.

Virtcast is a 3D virtual recording of activities in virtual reality. Visiting a virtcast is similar to a time-machine. You appear among people, who are moving, speaking and acting. They do not notice your presence, since they are from the past. Among those people, you may also notice yourself-from-the-past. It is not frightening. You are able to see and hear yourself as well as the entire environment in this time-machine. You may enter a virtcast together with friends, explore and discuss it.

How virtcast can be used?

It can be used to store events, experience of communication and interaction. Such experience comprises much of interesting and useful. It is similar to the television, which offers many recordings. Movies are recordings as well. However, watching activities through a window is different from joining these activities, which virtcast makes possible.

Where virtcast can be used?

It can be used in education. Recording, storing and sharing classes at a university will provide a new type of educational content.
It can be used in art. A performance virtcast will allow walking on a stage without disturbing actors. And is there a need in a stage if there is no special audience space?

It can be used in advertising.

Where else? Tomorrow, a new application could be found. This type of content has a promising future.

Virtcast already exists. Let us learn how to get new information and new experience from it.

vAcademia English Learning - Test 2 (beta)

Using vAcademia virtual world to teach English.

CAT UDC Blog: Second Life to vAcamedia: The Future of Virtual Wo...

CAT UDC Blog: Second Life to vAcamedia: The Future of Virtual Wo...: Beginning around 2005 Colleges and Universities around the country became increasingly interested in the learning opportunities offered by t...

vAcademia and Language Learning 2011 (beta)

An introduction to vAcademia virtual world and how to use 3D virtual world recording for language learning and education.

Class Merryman Professor

Meeting with professor Merryman in vAcademia Virtual World. Main vAcademia features are discussed in short

vAcademia in Benchmark of 3D virtual environments report

Find information about vAcademia Virtual World in Benchmark of 3D virtual environments report

https://blogs.aalto.fi/

«Purely considering the differences in training needs mentioned above, vAcademia is
more suitable for formal education and for example language or sales person training
that can be accomplished with simple role play. vAcademia’s built-in tools, such as
screen sharing, remote desktop control, laser pointers, connections to LMS systems and
other productivity tools are optimized for this kind of training and learning.
However, two unique aspects set vAcademia well apart from its competitors: While the
level of customization in the platform may not meet all the needs of simulation-based
learning, the ease of use that can be accomplished by limiting complexity is truly worthwhile.
Also, vAcademia is the first platform to introduce 3D recording (platform records
all the activities in the event and can playback them as a 3D event that you can participate
as spectator), and this has many uses in the experiential learning»

vAcademia avatar stress test

More than 70 avatars can be in one location in vAcademia Virtual World with very comfortable FPS for educational process

Welcome to vAcademia Virtual World

vAcademia is a virtual world for education. vAcademia offers various teaching tools. Lectures, classes, meetings and presentations are held in vAcademia. vAcademia pioneers recording of 3D classes.

vAcademia: Record your lectures in 3D and replay

AvatarGeneration publicated paper about 3D recording in vAcademia Virtual World.

AvatarGeneration is a research, news and media blog, dedicated to providing critical analysis and news on children’s new media and technology, specializing in virtual worlds.

To find out more about this, read the full text.

http://www.avatargeneration.com/blog/2011/10/vacademia-record-your-lectures-in-3d-and-replay/

Mesh Import into vAcademia

vAcademia natively supports meshes in own proprietary format. Support of Collada 3D-models (like Second Life) will be appeared in next release of vAcademia. Export to Collada is supported from Sketch Up, Blender, 3dsmax, Maya and other popular 3d tools.

vAcademia - "great step forward for education" by Paul Preibisch

Paul Preibisch - an independent information technology consultant - publicated paper about vAcademia Virtual World for education. He described main features of project for educators and learners. He point out that most exciting features of vAcademia is the ability to RECORD a session AND play it back.

The main keypoint of the article is that a vAcademia project is "a great step forward for education".

Read full version of the paper:
http://b3dmultitech.com/?p=71

And see the video

vAcademia pioneers 3D recording by Maria Korolev

vAcademia - the first project with 3D recording of classes. To find out more information, see this paper

3d recording of classes

Slides about 3D recordings of classes in educational virtual world - vAcademia

3 d recording of classes.vacademia

View more presentations from Михаил Морозов

vAcademia provides:

• Multiuser educational virtual world
• Recording of classes
• Collaborative learning tools
• User’s notes for classes and for the virtual world

Place the videos of your recorded classes on the web and they will be accessible to other internet users. These videos will help students attend a recorded 3D class and get the feeling of presence at the educational event.

vAcademia - virtual world as learning envirement

See about vAcademia

vAcademia - virtual world as learning envirement

View more presentations from vacademia

vAcademia Virtual world as learning environment.
Virtual worlds provide a new and effective environment for e-learning. vAcademia - is a virtual world specially created for educational purposes.

vAcademia classrooms are equipped with educational tool sets: whiteboards, presentation screens, pointers, markers, etc.
Collaborative learning approach is favored in the virtual world of vAcademia.
Educational tools: Whiteboards Screen and applications sharing Pointers, text and voice communication. Convenient voice and text communication tools enrich the collaborative learning activity.
Every person can show up in the virtual world in the appearance he/she likes best.

Avatar customizing: lips synchronization and emotion. Avatars face animation makes communication more expressive.

Users can share their comments and impressions in the form of text, voice or graphic notes.

Navigation vAcademia maps make the navigation around the virtual world really simple.

Creating learning environment: users can organize learning space at any location of vAcademia by arranging the furniture in the way they like.
Web support of learning environment: web site supports the learning process in vAcademia by learning management system and Web 2.0 tools: community, blogs and user generated content.
Both teachers and students have access to current and previous classes.

Virtual worlds create educational environment for e-learning in 21 st century. www.vacademia.com

Information about project vAcademia

The key advantage of vAcademia over other virtual worlds is its
option to record classes in "virtual space". Students can go into the
recorded class meeting and discuss it afterwards.





The vAcademia is used in Computer Science and Software engineering
coursers, for foreign language learning, for virtual study groups and
research presentations.

Web site www.vacademia.com provides administration and management of
classes and class activities in virtual world, gives easy access to
recorded classes, supports communities of practice.

Information about project vAcademia on teachingthroughmuves.info

http://teachingthroughmuves.in​fo/index.php/projects/58-vacad​emia

"Collaborative Work on 3D Content in Virtual Environments" Mikhail Fominykh

Collaborative Work on 3D Content in Virtual Environments: Methodology and Recommendations.

Virtual Academy is a virtual world for education.
Here you can learn, here you can teach.
Virtual Academy has everything you need for effective
classes and lectures: convenient classrooms, interactive whiteboards
with presentation tools, text and audio communication, and
web camera support.
The key advantage of Virtual Academy over other worlds is its option
to record classes.

www.vacademia.com