A group of Pellissippi State faculty plan to explore the implications of virtual worlds by setting up some ideas through presentations and then exploring them with interested participants through the Conversation Café process.
David Brown, assistant professor of Business and Computer Technology, is part of the management team for the Second Life project at PSTCC, and along with Ed Francisco, associate professor of English, organized the Cognitive Science discussion group, cutting edge discussions concerning artificial intelligence and the nature of intelligence, semiotics and related philosophical and technical aspects of AI, neural pathways, and explorations of the nature of self. He is leading the organization of a series of presentations and dialogs now about the impact of the growing phenomenon of virtual reality. (He wants me to tell you that I’m helping with organization as well.)
All sessions will feature a short presentation to set up the dialog, followed by exploration through the Conversation Café format. All sessions are scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Cafeteria Annex.
Tentatively scheduled:
- March 20, presentation by Charles Cardwell: “Philosophical Issues Raised by Virtual Worlds.” (Outcomes reported in this post.)
- March 27, presentation by David Howell: “Religions and Virtual Worlds.”
- April 3, presentation by Ed Francisco: “Pedagogical Uses of Virtual Worlds.”
- April 10, presentation by David Brown: “Spirituality and Virtual Worlds.”
There will also be a followup session in which we bring together students and faculty to talk about how to use our particular Virtual World presence in Second Life.
- April 17, “Second Life and PSTCC.”
