Promising Practices in Online Engagement
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Virtual Worlds
Conference Report - Using Virtual Reality for Stakeholder Engagement
Submitted by chrishaller on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 16:47.ÂÂÂPublic Decisions today released the conference report for the Using Virtual Reality for Stakeholder Engagement conference back in July. Very insightful, including many comments and feedback from the event. This summary table outlines some of the key findings:
ÂÂ Â
| Benefits | DrawbaÂcks | Tradeoffs | |
| ÂAppropriateness | - May appeal to some
participants who otherwise
might not attend - May be useful in instances where biases or limited abilities (such as for persons with physical disabilities) place constraints on effectively achieving engagement goals |
- The idea of virtual
worlds may be
unappealing or have a
residual negative
connotation for some
people (e.g.,
“gamingâ€) - Technology can be overwhelming to some not used to it |
Like other engagement techniques, virtual worlds may be appropriate for certain proportion of stakeholders |
| Effectiveness | Provides an immersive, collaborative experience to the degree that in-person, telephone conference calls and web-enabled meetings cannot | Requires computer that meets systems requirements and high-speed internet; some organizational firewalls also may block access | Requires some willingness by stakeholders to learn how to use / navigate in virtual worlds (orientation sessions are suggested) |
| Efficiency | - Provides opportunities for
participants to have
experiences that otherwise
might be too costly or
difficult / dangerous - Costs of using virtual worlds can be very low and other hosts in-world are often willing to assist at no charge |
Creating your own “island†or space in virtual worlds can be costly | - Organization / host must
invest time and effort to
first understand the
potential applicability and
acquire the capabilities
needed for virtual worlds in
order to create a successful
immersive experience for
participants - Networking with other organizations in-world is key for locating free or lowcost spaces available for use in virtual worlds |
Second Life for Stakeholder Conference Recap
Submitted by chrishaller on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 18:42.
RezLibris has a great report about our Stakeholder Engagement conference in Second Life last month:
...Most of the conference was held on Squirrel Island, Learning Times' sim. After a brief introduction by Corwin Howlett, the conference facilitator,Wiglaf Kukulcan (Chris Haller in real life; Public Agenda) led five avatars in a demonstration of an e-deliberation on global warming. "A deliberation differs from a debate in that it keeps people's minds open to different options rather than trying to persuade or pointing out pros and cons of a viewpoint," explained Kukulcan. During the virtual deliberation some SL tools such as group IM, personal IM and local chat were used to facilitate polling and discussions. At the end of the deliberation each of the five participants were asked how a virtual deliberation compared to a real life deliberation. Buffy Beale said, "it doesn't feel different... not quite as nervewracking not seeing eveyone in person. It feels very involved and engaged but maybe not as nervous. SL is fantastic and a really good tool for communications." The other participants echoed Buffy's feelings that it was more relaxed but otherwise similar to real life deliberation...
Using Second Life for Stakeholder Engagement
Submitted by chrishaller on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 22:17.Conducted entirely in the virtual world Second Life, this one-day conference will provide you with the opportunity to experience and learn about the possibilities of hosting stakeholder learning events using virtual reality.
You'll participate in presentations, discussions . . . even "field trips" that demonstrate how virtual reality is being used for stakeholder learning today.
What You'll Learn:
► The benefits and drawbacks of working with stakeholders in Second Life, including when it's appropriate, efficient and effective—and when it's not
â–º How Second Life differs from other technologies used for stakeholder engagement
► How Second Life can be used for a range of subject areas, including—but not limited to—environmental management
â–º Tips for using Second Life effectively, including how to access existing "islands" or spaces within Second Life's virtual world and how to create your own space
View the conference agenda >>
You don't need prior experience with Second Life to attend, but you will need to create a Second Life account (it's free) in order to participate.
An orientation for registrants new to Second Life (and those who want a refresher) will be provided prior to the conference.
