In association with partners from universities in Holland and Belgium, the IHCS Learning & Teaching team were successful in a bid to the Consortium of Institutes of Higher Education in Health and Rehabilitation In Europe (COHEHRE) for a project involving the creation of a virtual web-based European community (a european prototype version of the Simulated Community).

Virtual Europe is a virtual web-based European community from which case studies and scenarios may be accessed for learning and teaching purposes by teachers, groups and individual students (these case studies could have been developed in part by service users and carers). Virtual Europe features a map of Europe, which allows access to country specific resources (such as a town hospital) populated with different cultural case studies. This would allow comparisons and contrasts between cultures to be examined. For example, a student in the UK could compare and contrast the differences between UK and European approaches to treatment and care of a patient in a particular situation.

Cohehre was established on the belief that the development and quality of higher education for the health care professions would be enhanced by international cooperation, realising amongst others, an international/European dimension to the educational activities of its membership. This project aims to provide a cultural opportunity to work on a cross border project, and offer the chance to provide an innovative virtual learning environment, which could be utilised across Cohehre partner institutions.

The project initially runs from July 2006 through to June 2009.

Perplex City is an ARG from Mind Candy Design, but it’s also a world unto itself, a full-fledged city. An active community of bloggers (and characters in the narrative) provides news of the world. “And what world would be complete without a vast conspiracy at its heart…….

Escapist Magazine Article

Play Perplex City

Mind Candy Press

John Naughton, TV reviewer turned internet guru, foresees the end of traditional broadcasting and the rise of a new media ecology…

Observer Article From March 06 (Registration Required)

The new generational divide – are we becoming cyborgs already (eek !)

View The Sunday Times Article

Alternatively have some fun as a cyberman

Interview with Co-founder of MySpace – Chris DeWolfe

Guardian Article (you will need to register)

The new internet revolution being joined by hundreds of thousands every day. Called ‘Me Media’, is has sparked an explosion of sites like Bebo and Facebook where users generate the content – creating their own space online. How did this phenomenon change the face of social interaction?.

Observer Article (you will need to register)

And now…..C-Learning
Social software and learning – An Opening Education report from Futurelab By Owen, Grant, Sayers and Facer……

View Futurelab Report

Will it be Wikipedia written by experts ? Larry Sanger, co-founder of the free encyclopedia, is now launching a web guide based on its first principles…….

The Digital Universe project

The Guardian Article (registration required)