Revised: January 10, 1997

An event can be any encounter that occurs with one person and one or more people or an encounter with one or more people and something else (a mountain perhaps). A virtual event is an event in which the participants are not physically in the same location with the other elements in the event... They are "virtually connected."

The Internet with its inherent flexibility and potential connectively has, within a historical moment, pushed the idea of "virtual events" from science fiction to an increasingly commonplace and "normal" reality. The concept is being discussed in the popular press and by teachers, the military, business people and many others. Over the winter and spring quarters each student will work with a team of 3 - 5 students to create a "virtual event." Creating in this case means designing and implementing the event as well as doing the requisite scholarly work including hypothesizing, analyzing, researching, and reporting.

Although we need not get hung up on this, this organized investigation into virtual events may be the first of its kind. For that reason we may want to actually think of a way to disseminate our results beyond this course.

Phase I (Winter Quarter) Analysis and Design

Deliverables: (1) A report containing analysis and design (and bibliography). This will be paper-based but it can also be put on the web. (2) A 30-minute presentation based on the analysis and design to the rest of the class.

The analysis should include issues like the following.

• Origin of original event
• Purpose of original event
• Description of original event
• Why "virtualize" the event (and what aspect(s) are being / are not being "virtualized")
• Description of virtual event
• What is lost, gained? different? when the event is virtualized?

Note: The VE can be a hybrid or (even) a brand new event - but analysis is still needed.

The design should include issues like the following.

• Who should participate, their modes of participation, training.
• What design decisions existed and how did you determine the answers?
• What technology are you planning to use? Why? What technology was rejected?
• What design components are there and how will the team put them into place?

Phase II (Spring Quarter) Implementation and Evaluation

Deliverables: (1) A report containing implementation notes and evaluation (and bibliography). This will be paper-based but it can also be put on the web. (2) A 30-minute demonstration (which can be simulated) to the rest of the class.

The evaluation should include issues like the following.

• What criteria do you use to decide whether or not the event was successful?
• What research questions were answered?
• Describe the demonstration. Did the system work like it was supposed to? Discuss any unforeseen positives or negatives.
• Describe to what extent you can generalize on the part of your findings.
• Did the technology work the way it was supposed to?
• What further work and/or research do you recommend?
• What technology improvements would be needed or useful to make the event more succesful?
• What were participant's expectations? reactions? How did they differ? What would they like to see different next time?

Possible events

Art opening, wedding or funeral, party, a trial, collaborative research, a gall bladder operation, battle, conference, retreat, sex, political rally, sporting event, religious gatherings, circus, a college course, undergraduate education, trade show, public market, electronic town-hall, court, concert, rock festival, battle, or any of a myriad of other ritualized, institutionalized, or accidental occurrences.

Using this Material

I have made this material freely available on the web to encourage its re-use. Please attribute its source if you use it in any way. I welcome your feedback. Please let me know what you find useful and what you find less useful. How should it be improved? Please let me know if you are interested in future collaboration.