Educare

This presentation provides a first-hand update on academia’s
response to virtual world learning over the past decade-plus. Steven Van Hook
(Kip Roffo) brings more than 20 years’ experience as an educator, author, innovator, and course designer. He will cover the evolving university response Virtual World educational possibilities, citing administrator, instructor and student concerns including:

• Appeals and protests of Virtual World learning
• Cost-effective program development
• Best VW teaching tactics and practices
• Benefits and necessities of immersive experiential learning
• Field-trip to the Educare VW campus

Bio: Dr. Steven R. Van Hook has taught communication and culture classes for

universities in the USA and abroad for 25 years, developing one of the first hybrid virtual courses for UCSB in 2000. He has led in academic positions including faculty senator, ombudsman, curriculum development, accreditation review, and instructor mentoring. He is President of Educare Research, a nonprofit program serving international educators and students. He’s been a newspaper columnist, radio reporter, TV news anchor, and science podcast host. He was a television producer and bureau chief in Moscow, USSR from 1989-91; and for three years directed public education media programs in Ukraine through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He has served as a trainer and officer for organizations including VISTA, Head Start, as a licensed Master Captain by the US Coast Guard, and a private pilot. He has a PhD specializing in transcultural learning, and is published in scholarly journals including UNESCO’s Prospects, and by SAGE. He has presented on virtual world education to administrators and groups at UCLA, UCSB, VWBPE, VWEC, The Science Circle, and elsewhere. Research website: http://wwmr.us