Rockcliffe University Consortium

-> Announcing The Keynote Speakers!

➡️Philip Rosedale / SL: Philip Linden - CTO, Linden Lab
➡️Ryan Schultz - Science & Agriculture Librarian, Uni of Manitoba
➡️Mark Childs - Senior Learning Designer, Uni of Durham UK
https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/announcing-the-vwbpe-2026-keynote-speaker

In leveraging the power of virtual environments in education, we continue to develop best practices with new insights into emerging technologies and their place in the future of digital learning.

We are truly pleased to feature three unique individuals in the field. You can learn more about them below and plan to attend their keynote addresses.

🔸 🔸 🔸

Philip Rosedale / SL: Philip Linden - CTO, Linden Lab
Thursday, 19 March @ 12:00 PM SLT, VWBPE Auditorium

About Rosedale, in His Words:
Born in San Diego, the son of a Navy carrier pilot whose deployments took my family all over the United States before returning to San Diego for high school and college. BS Physics, UCSD ’92.

Fell in love with coding in middle school, and started a software company in high school which helped me pay for college. Moved to San Francisco in ’94, discovered the Internet, and created FreeVue, a videoconferencing app that worked over dialup with the earliest web cameras. Acquired by RealNetworks in late ’95, where I led the creation of and became CTO.

In ’99, I left RealNetworks and founded Linden Lab to create Second Life and fulfill my dream of building a virtual world. After 10 years running Second Life as CEO, I started several experimental new companies with two co-founders, including LoveMachine, Worklist.net, and Coffee & Power. In 2013, after experimenting with the mems gyro chips that would enable the Oculus Rift, we started High Fidelity to build a new open source virtual world platform for VR Headsets. In 2019, with VR failing to gain wide consumer acceptance, refocused High Fidelity on spatial audio.

In 2022-2024 created a lab in San Francisco working on several new projects, including FairShare, which aims to provide a basic income and reduce wealth inequality using a group-based digital currency. Also helped create .AI, which is exploring consciousness in machines.

Rejoined Second Life in October 2024 as CTO to help with several new initiatives!
🔸 🔸 🔸

Ryan Schultz - Science & Agric Librarian, University of Manitoba,
Friday, 20 March @ 9:00 AM SLT, VWBPE Auditorium

About Ryan Schultz:
Ryan Schultz is a science and agriculture librarian at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who for the past eight years has written a popular blog about virtual worlds, social / , and the at https://ryanschultz.com/
🔸 🔸 🔸

Mark Childs - Senior Learning Designer, University of Durham, UK
Saturday, 21 March @ 9:00 AM SLT, VWBPE Auditorium

About Mark Childs:
Mark Childs is a Senior Learning Designer at the University of Durham (Durham UK). He has researched and taught remote teaching since 1997. His PhD in 2010 was on the subject of the role of presence and embodiment in learning in Second Life. His books on are: "Understanding Learning in Virtual Worlds", " in Virtual Worlds", "Making Sense of Space, and "Reinventing Ourselves – Contemporary Concepts of Identity in Virtual Worlds".

He taught extensively in Second Life during the 2000s and early 2010s and has regularly attended events at VWBPE and VWMOOC ever since. He has presented at the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. His regular look was one he established very early and has been so closely related to his identity within Second Life that he feels it’s too late to change, so he apologies in advance for the light reflecting off his head spikes.

🔸 🔸 🔸

🚨 IMPORTANT DATES ⬇️
18 March 2026 – Volunteers ROCK Party
March 19-21, 2026 – VWBPE 2026 Conference: INSIGHTS
11 April 2026 – Volunteer Appreciation Party

🏅 Sponsorship Opportunities
🔸 Corporate Sponsor 🔸 Community Supporter 🔸 Event Partner 🔸 Educational Innovator https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/vwbpe-2026-call-for-sponsors

🙋 Call For Volunteers
Get Behind-The-Scenes at one of the most important Virtual EdTech conferences! https://www.vwbpe.org/volunteers

👋 SEE YOU AT

📢 31 January 2026 ➡️ SECOND ROUND CALL FOR PROPOSALS CLOSES IN ONE WEEK❗ https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026

🤔Whether your work is deeply scholarly, boldly experimental, quietly reflective, or wildly creative, has a place for it. If you’re exploring the future of digital learning, we want to hear from you. 📞

⏰Don’t delay – this second round deadline is final for ↙️

👉 Presentations – Share research, experiences, innovations, or frameworks. https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026/presentation-guidelines

👉Immersive Experiences – Lead others through environments or activities that reveal insights through embodied practice. https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026/ie-guidelines

15 February 2026 – CFP for Exhibits, Posters & Machimina close, Call for Sponsors closes

You can present using a poster or machinima or a mix of each. This category is also open to students who are strongly encouraged to share their current work as individuals or as poster team members.

• Posters (including Machinima) – Highlight visual storytelling, snapshots of practice, conceptual models, or short-form explorations. https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026/poster-submission

• Exhibits – Showcase creative works in virtual worlds through artistic expression in order to promote your organization or achievements. https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026/exhibit-guidelines

31 January 2026 – Thinkerer Nomination Submissions close ❗ https://www.vwbpe.org/conf.../vwbpe2026-thinkerer-nomination
🌐CALL FOR SPONSORS https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe.../vwbpe-2026-call-for-sponsors
🙋CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS https://www.vwbpe.org/vwb.../join-the-vwbpe26-volunteer-team

◦ High-impact strategies using AI, XR, and emerging tech;
◦ Defining AI’s place in education ;
◦ Protecting privacy and ethics in a data-driven age, virtual & immersive environments;
◦ Establishing guardrails for emerging tools.
◦ Scaling immersive technologies.
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📆 IMPORTANT DATES .
31 January 2026 – 2nd Round CFP for Presentations, IEs closes
31 January 2026 – Thinkerer Nomination Submissions close
15 February 2026 – CFP for Exhibits, Posters & Machimina closes, Call for Sponsors closes
19 February 2026 – 2nd Networking Social (Theme: Fishing Spot)
18 March 2026 – Volunteers ROCK Party
March 19-21, 2026 – VWBPE 2026 Conference – INSIGHTS
11 April 2026 – Volunteer Appreciation Party
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Not done yet! For YOUR convenience ~~~ EVERYTHING is right here ⤵
📜You certainly don't want to miss our newsletter https://www.vwbpe.org/news
Our social media *must haves* ↘️
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VWBPE (with archives)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/67701516968
Flickr: https://vwb.pe/flickr
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vwbpe
Discord: https://vwb.pe/discord
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vwbpe_organization/
And, you certainly don't want to miss our newsletter 📜
Subscribe here: https://www.vwbpe.org/news (and sharing is good thing 👍
SEE YOU AT 👋

-> Reminders: Frost Faire Social Today / CFPs Extended

Networking Social ❄️ Frost Faire ❄️
Thu, Jan 22 - 5:00 PM SLT
https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/our-first-networking-social-in-2026

🎶 DJ E # # at Rockcliffe Village
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20Village/169/155/1701 ☃️

⏰ Second Round CFP deadline is Jan 31 & CFP Exhibits & Posters open through Feb 15

➡️ CFP details https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026

VWBPE 2026 Call for Proposals | Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education VWBPE: Insights March 19-21, 2026 Call for Proposals VWBPE: The Virtual Conference for Practice, Creation, and Learning in Digital Spaces Get ready for a bold, future-focused VWBPE. Our 19th annual conference brings together the global community shaping what's next in immersive teaching, learning, a...

At 8:30 AM SLT on January 23 at the Weekly Nonprofit Commons in Second Life Meeting, join us for "Virtual Worlds - Best Practices in Education Insights 2026” with Phelan Corrimal, Elli Pinion, Marie Vans, Bevan Whitfield, and Buffy Beale. This year, the 19th Annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) conference will take place from March 19–21, 2026. The 2026 theme, “Insights”, invites us to look deeper—beyond the tools and platforms—toward the lessons, challenges, and opportunities that are redefining education in an age of rapid technological transformation. https://vwbpe.org/

See you in Second Life at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/88/127/26

🥳 VWBPE26 Social Committee: 1st VWBPE Fundraiser. ❄️ Frost Faire ❄️ on January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM SLT/PST!

🎶 DJ E # # brings the beats for us to warm up under the cold January sky on the frozen Thames River. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20Village/169/155/1701 ☃️

🚨 Reminder! CFP Proposals 2nd Round Deadline ➡️ Jan 31 https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026

Virtual Worlds - Best Practices in Education NOV 24, The Call is Open – Share Your Insights!
💥 Empowering Educators 💥Expanding Realities 💥Transforming Education. 💥

Augmented learning environments? ’s place in education? Immersive , emerging tools? Bring your best ideas & best questions -> Virtual Worlds - Best Practices in Education has just the place for them! ⤵

https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/the-call-is-open-share-your-insights-for-vwbpe-2026 Second Life

The moment we look forward to every year has arrived: the VWBPE 2026 Call for Proposals opens November 24, and we’re inviting educators, creators, researchers, and innovators from across the to bring their best ideas forward. Whether you explore virtual worlds daily or you’re just beginning to experiment with them, this is your opportunity to help shape one of the most vibrant and enduring conferences in immersive education.

Our theme for 2026 is INSIGHTS — the unexpected moments of clarity, discovery, and connection that emerge when teaching and learning extend beyond the boundaries of physical classrooms. We’re looking for projects that illuminate these moments and help others see what’s possible.

The pace of technological change has never been faster. AI, immersive simulations, and augmented realities are transforming not only how students engage with content, but how educators define their own roles. With these shifts come pressing new challenges:

• Establishing guardrails for emerging tools;
• Protecting privacy and ethics in a data-driven age;
• Scaling immersive technologies.

Augmented learning environments, digital twins, and AI teaching assistants offer new pedagogical possibilities—but also bring steep learning curves, infrastructure costs, and questions of access.

This year’s CFP includes four categories, each offering a unique way to contribute your expertise:
• Presentations – Share research, experiences, innovations, or frameworks.
• Immersive Experiences – Lead others through environments or activities that reveal insights through embodied practice.
• Posters (including Machinima) – Highlight visual storytelling, snapshots of practice, conceptual models, or short-form explorations.
• Exhibits – Showcase creative works in virtual worlds through artistic expression in order to promote your organization or achievements.

Whether your work is deeply scholarly, boldly experimental, quietly reflective, or wildly creative, VWBPE has a place for it.

You’ll find the full CFP details at: https://www.vwbpe.org/cfp2026

The submission deadline is January 15, 2026 for presentations and immersive experiences; it is February 15, 2026 for exhibits and posters, so now is the perfect time to gather your ideas, assemble your team, sketch out your concepts, and start building.
We encourage you to take this step. Share what you’re doing. Inspire others. Help us uncover the insights that will guide the next chapter of virtual education.

The metaverse is built by the people who show up. This is your moment—let’s see what you’ve discovered.
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IMPORTANT DATES
24 November 2025 – Call for Proposals Opens
30 November 2025 – Thinkerer Award Nominations Opens
04 January 2026 – Call for Volunteers & Film Crew opens
15 January 2026 – CFP for Presentations, IEs closes
22 January 2026 – 1st Networking Social (Theme: Frost Fair)
15 February 2026 – CFP for Exhibits, Posters closes, Call for Sponsors closes
19 February 2026 – 2nd Networking Social (Theme: Fishing Spot)
March 19-21, 2026 – VWBPE 2026 Conference – INSIGHTS

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🏅 Sponsorship Opportunities

🔸 Corporate Sponsor 🔸 Community Supporter 🔸 Event Partner 🔸 Educational Innovator https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/vwbpe-2026-call-for-sponsors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

👉 Not done yet! For YOUR convenience ~~~ EVERYTHING is right here! ⬇⬇⬇

At-A-Glance ->> https://www.vwbpe.org/
Our social media *must haves* ⤵⤵⤵

FB: http://vwb.pe/fb
Flickr: https://vwb.pe/flickr
Twitter: http://vwb.pe/twitter
Discord: https://vwb.pe/discord
YouTube: http://vwb.pe/youtube
Instagram: vwbpe_organization
LinkedIn: http://vwb.pe/linkedin

And, you certainly don't want to miss our newsletter 👓 📰
Subscribe here: https://www.vwbpe.org/news

(and sharing is good thing ;-) 👍 😏

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education
INSIGHTS: March 19-21, 2026
💥 Empowering Educators 💥Expanding Realities 💥Transforming Education SEE YOU AT ‼ 👋

Sunday, Nov 9 at 11:00AM SLT - Please join us for the NPC Monthly Networking Party at Rockcliffe University
This month's theme color is Autumn Brown! 🍁 🍂
Enjoy networking, dancing, meeting new friends!
Chat Cafe ☕ & RUC Club 🍹 - Rockcliffe University
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20I/206/68/26

From Slimmie: Mal's Funeral Service Aug 29 (London & remote)
Mal's Family & friends will come together to say goodbye & remember Mal on Fri, Aug 29th at 9:30am (UK time) at Mortlake Crematorium, London. 😔

Social Opportunities, Learning Practices, and Performance in and : A Comparative Scoping Review in Higher https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131525001599

Mental Health Symposium – 2025 The 14th annual Mental Health Symposium will take place on May 15, 2025. The theme of this year’s Conference is “Facing Our Fears: Managing Anxiety About Life’s Uncertainties.”