6th Annual League of Worlds Colloquium: Online Simulations, Role-playing, and Virtual Worlds (http://leagueofworlds.com) November 2-6 2009 LoW6 Conference Theme: Virtual worlds in education and society: critical, innovative perspectives and practices 2009 Location: Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands Keynote: Erik Duval, Professor, computer science department of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Conference Chairs: Roberto Muffoletto (roberto.muffoletto@gmail.com) and Helen Hintjens (hintjens@iss.nl) Colloquium Partners: League of Worlds, EPN (Electronic Platform of The Netherlands); Institute of Social Studies; Sofos Consultancy Call for presentations (papers and multimedia) Virtual worlds are increasingly gaining global appeal and application. As acceptance of virtual worlds becomes more widespread, what may be the effect on educational and social environments? How does using virtual worlds affect how we think about and understand, as well as design virtual and real social environments? As a form of technological innovation, are virtual worlds subject to the same flux as other forms of economic and educational activity? What are the implications and lessons for innovations in virtual worlds in terms of methods and modes of communication, potential for collaboration, and the recreation and creation of new forms of pedagogic applications of such worlds? Will growth and development of virtual worlds continue; will reductions in budgets restrict innovations, or is there a danger of shutting down globalized opportunities for learning and interaction? This year, the LOW conference will consider how virtual worlds are going global, addressing new educational and social themes and possibilities. This year we are inviting presentations and exchanges that reflect on the present in light of the past, and outline some prospects for the future. Questions addressing “What did we learned from a decade of virtual worlds?”; “Will new, more horizontal forms of educational, social and cultural interaction emerge?”; “Which kinds of platforms and worlds have been able to sustain themselves, and which cannot survive?”; and “What are the implications for future possibilities?”, are a few of the questions that need to be addressed as we explore how virtual worlds ‘translate’ into real-time settings in the global North and South as we work with less advantaged groups in society. In additional to traditional papers to present positions and arguments, LOW is encouraging authors to present their position or argument in a multimedia format. To select this format is “not” to create an illustration but to construct and deliver a position/argument in a non-linear form. Colloquium Design and Format This year the colloquium is designed to encourage and support discussion and engagement by all participants. Sessions are to be organized as mini-panels, linking presentations along similar themes. Each presentation will involve a respondent, whose role is to reflect and initiate responses and discussion. Presenters have 15 minutes to present their ideas (broadband is available), and time will be made for full discussion. The size of the colloquium will be limited to around 50 participants to facilitate meaningful interaction. The language of communication is English. ** Papers will be published in the LOW proceedings and do not need to be read out in full. Authors are invited to present a brief summary of their arguments, with illustrations or a demonstration if required. Proposal categories The League of Worlds colloquium is designed to support the sharing of meaningful reflections on practices, designs and their wider social implications. Participants share experiences, insights, lessons and demonstrate the various technologies involved. Also central this year is an invitation to think critically, perhaps to rethink, what working with virtual worlds entails in a broader sense for social and educational learning and practice. Papers that reflect, in light of virtual worlds, on concepts including identity, social justice, conflict resolution, ‘emotional’ literacy and power relations in a globalizing world, will be particularly welcome. In addition, the place of virtual worlds in wider pedagogic goals and approaches will be another central theme. The LOW Colloquium review committee will be particularly interested in submissions on the following themes: 1. Design and collaboration in Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). 2. The role of the facilitator/ teacher and learner in the VLE 3. Analyzing the learning experience 4. Gaming and role-playing design 5. Pushing the boundaries: socializing new technologies in VLE 6. Globalizing the use of VLE: Issues for Social and Development Studies 7. Critical perspectives on VLE and Social Change 8. Visions and projections for the future of VLE and the social uses of virtual worlds 9. Recent developments and visions for the future Proposal Submission * Submit a short Summary statement, stating how your presentation relates to one of the themes listed above. The statement should be no longer than 150 words long, and should explain the focus and purpose of the presentation/paper. Authors need to provide with their proposal a number of discussion questions. * Authors need to be listed with contact information. Main author should be noted. * Submitted proposals are double blind peer-reviewed. * Proposals need to be submitted as word RTF files to the conference chair at: roberto.muffoletto@gmail.com Presentation Format * Final papers need to be submitted in an accessible format (RTF). Papers should range between 2000- 4000 words (6 - 10 pages). * Multimedia works should be submitted via ftp or a link provided. * References should be in the author’s tradition. * Accepted presentations, the colloquium program, and a list of attendees and their proposals will be published on the League of Worlds 2009 Colloquium website. Important Dates Paper/multimedia works abstract proposal submission: Summary, points for discussion and relevant conference theme. June 15th, 2009 Notification of Acceptance : July 15, 2009 Conference fee deadline* all presenters must be registered by this date. September 1 2009 Final paper/multimedia works (for proceedings) due no later than: 15 September 2009 * Due to limiting participants to 50, participants will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to those presenting papers. Non-presenting attendees will be registered where spaces remain. Questions and Inquires: Questions concerning the 2009 LOW-6 Colloquium need to be addressed to one of the chairpersons: Helen Hintjens hintjens@iss.nl Roberto Muffoletto roberto.muffoletto@gmail.com To receive LoW updates please subscribe to the League of Worlds email list. Send an email from your account to: leagueofworlds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com * no subject line is needed * you will receive a confirmation email
Apologies for cross posting. CALL FOR PAPERS Journal of Virtual Worlds Research (http://jvwresearch.org/) Special issue, Vol. 3 (3), 2010: Virtual Worlds for Kids Abstract Deadline: 20 October 2009 Guest Editors: Sun Sun LIM, National University of Singapore, sunlim@nus.edu.sg Lynn Schofield Clark, University of Denver, Lynn.Clark@du.edu While virtual worlds for young adults have received considerable research attention, virtual worlds for young children - from preschoolers to preteens - have not been studied as extensively. Yet statistics indicate that children worldwide are using the Internet at younger and younger ages, and are exploring a wide range of online environments including virtual worlds such as Neopets, Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin, Webkinz, BarbieGirls.com, MoshiMonsters etc. Participation in such virtual worlds have been found to aid in the development of children's social, linguistic and technological skills, and to offer them enriching learning experiences, outlets for creative expression and opportunities for identity exploration. At the same time however, concerns about the potentially adverse impact of such virtual worlds prevail, be it moral panics about sexual grooming, fears of online addiction or more mundane worries about exposure to online advertising. While research on children's participation in virtual worlds is growing, clearly more light needs to be shed on the benefits and harms of children's participation in these engaging and increasingly popular multimedia environments. This special issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research will explore children's participation in online virtual worlds, and focus specifically on the preschool to preteen group, from about 3 to 14 years of age. We welcome participation from a broad range of academic researchers and practitioners using a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches from such fields as communications, psychology, education, computer science, sociology, anthropology and marketing. Topics of interest are (but not limited to): * typologies of children's virtual worlds * ethnographies of children's use of virtual worlds * avatar building, identity exploration and peer dynamics * educational uses of children's virtual worlds * lifestage analyses comparing experiences of children of different ages * supervisory strategies of parents, guardians, teachers * joint online activities of siblings and other family members * family online activities in virtual worlds * policy and public education responses * industry self-regulation measures * advertising and marketing to children in virtual worlds * research methods and ethical issues Please submit a 500 word abstract to the guest editors as an e-mail attachment no later than 20 October, 2009. The five best abstracts will also be submitted as a panel for consideration by the Children, Adolescents and the Media interest group of the International Communication Association 2010 conference (held from 22 - 26 June 2010 in Singapore). Please include full contact information and a biographical note (up to 75 words) on each of the authors and indicate whether you wish to be considered for the ICA panel submission. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by 10 November, 2009 and will then be invited to submit a full paper to the guest editors. Manuscripts should be no more than 8,000 words, including notes and references, conform to APA style, and submitted by 31 March , 2010. All papers will be subject to anonymous peer review following submission. We also welcome submissions in the form of think pieces and interactive online exhibits with accompanying detailed descriptions, and other forms of scholarship. Important dates 20 October 2009: Deadline for abstract submission 10 November 2009: Announcement of results 31 March 2010: Submission of full papers 22-26 June 2010: ICA conference in Singapore September 2010: Publication of special issue
Apologies for cross posting. CALL FOR CHAPTERS Proposal Submission: September 15, 2009 Full Chapter Submission Deadline: November 30, 2009 Global Media Convergence and Cultural Transformation: Emerging Social Patterns and Characteristics Edited by: Dal Yong Jin, Simon Fraser University, Canada To be published by IGI Global: http://www.igi-global.com/requests/details.asp?ID=665 INTRODUCTION New media and technology are firmly embedded in our contemporary society and culture. The Internet and mobile communications and their applications, including online gaming, have made a huge impact on political participation, business, education, social and family relations. Several regions, including Asia and North America are marked by diverse penetration rates of gaming (e.g., online, mobile, and console games), and mobile and broadband technologies, which are subject to local culture and socio-economic nuances. Young people are techno-savvy, and their use of new technology has been culturally remarkable. Media policy makers, software designers, mobile technicians, and computer corporations around the world are eager to learn, not only the result of the rapid growth of new technologies and their implications, but also the primary driver of the development of advancement of new technologies, as a reflection of the importance of convergence of technology and culture. OBJECTIVES The overall mission of the book is to engage the complex relationship between technology and culture, as well as technology and socio-economic elements by exploring it in a transnational yet contextually grounded framework. This book employs diverse perspectives and approaches, from political economy to cultural studies, and from policy studies to ethnography in order to reflect several different focuses and areas in new media technologies and their convergence with culture. Specifically, it will focus on the following key objectives: · To analyze the convergence of technology and culture, which is one of the major drivers of the development of new technologies. a.. To provide understanding of macro and micro level factors currently affecting convergence from both a developing and a developed nation's perspective. b.. To offer cross-country analysis of media and technology convergence that can be applied in various geographical settings. c.. To document our experience of technological change in economy and culture that may shed light on the more general trends of the shifting global media, culture and technology. AUDIENCE Our major target readers will be upper-level undergraduate and graduate students who study media, culture, and technology as well as media economics. The prospective audience is the academic audience as well as the much broader world of users from business, government, and information technology sectors. This book has an international appeal in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, because many Western media scholars would like to understand the reasons why the global world has rapidly grown and been transformed in the context of new media and culture. TOPICS The chapters can address topics such as the following, but are not limited to: § New Media Polices and Economy of Media Convergence § Broadband as a key for convergence of technology and media § Convergence of American Fandom and Asian Technology: play culture changes game technology § Transnational, regional, and national: convergence of Western capital and locality in the mobile industry § When the West meets the East: convergence of Western culture and Asian new media § Playing at Being Mobile: gaming, cute culture and mobile technology § The Mobile-zing Culture: emerging structure of mobile email users in Asia and Europe § Call Centers, India, and a New Politics: cultural interpretations § Broadband Internet, Online Game, and Culture: a cross-cultural analysis § Social networking for Online Game Content § Playing at Being Mobile: gaming, cute culture and mobile technology § Online Game Fans: are they new audience commodities in the new media era § Adventure of Local Video Games towards Globalization § New Media Hubs in Asia: Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai § Discourses of Keitai culture in Japan § The making of neo-Confucian cyberkids: mobile phone users in Korea § A socio-cultural interpretation of American youth and Asian youth in the usage of Web culture § Chinese online game culture: Western capital controls the national cultural market § Japanese Console Game Industry and Culture § Glocalized Asia: an integration of the World of Warcraft with Asian culture § Thinking through Diaspora: Asian Americans live with the Internet SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before September 15, 2009, a manuscript proposal outlining title, mission, and concerns of the proposed chapter (500 - 600 words). Authors of accepted proposals will be notified as soon as possible about the status of their proposals and sent chapter organizational guidelines. Full chapters (6,000 - 9,000 words) are expected to be submitted by November 30, 2009. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. PUBLISHER This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference), "Medical Information Science Reference," and "IGI Publishing" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in late 2010. IMPORTANT DATES September 15, 2009: Proposal Submission September 30, 2009: Proposal Acceptance November 30, 2009: Full Chapter Submission January 31, 2010: Review Results Returned March 15, 2010: Revised Chapter Submission April 15, 2010: Final Chapter Submission CONTACT INFORMATION Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically or by mail to: Dr. Dal Yong Jin (djin@sfu.ca: Tel: 604-420-2856) School of Communication Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC Canada, V5A 1S6
participants (3)
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Dal Yong Jin -
Johnny Søraker -
Sun Sun LIM