nmc2006reg

Aaron Delwiche provided the opening keynote for the Fall 2006 NMC Regional Conference, hosted by Trinity College in San Antonio.

Many cyberspace residents feel that America's current body of law is incapable of dealing with the complexities of digital culture. This serious problem transcends traditional ideology. Our legislators have spent most of their lives seeking and maintaining political office, and many have had little exposure to new media.

Is there any validity to the claim that current regulations affecting digital media are endangering the vitality of our democracy and sapping the economic health of our nation? Do restrictive copyright laws inhibit scholarly debate while weakening teachers in the classroom? Is it true that these laws throw roadblocks in front of artists while doing very little to protect the rights of creators?

This session will begin with a brief history of the use of online technologies for creating communities and learning environments, explain how people have embraced new communication mediums in the past and leveraged them. There will be an introduction to Second Life and how educators are currently using it as a platform for collaborative and innovative learning. Finally, the presenter will discuss the future of virtual worlds like Second Life, presenting ideas for supporting and better engaging a new generation of students who have grown up in an immersive networked world.