Penn State Intercom......October 24, 2002
DuBois launches virtual community
dedicated to diversity
As couples danced the cha-cha to the beat of "LaBamba" under a canopy of exploding fireworks, Penn State DuBois staged a grand opening celebration recently to unveil a new project that will link its educators and students to other learners across the nation and the world.
The occasion marked the ribbon cutting of The World of Diversity, a Web-based virtual community. Like the community it represents, the ribbon-cutting was held online; a virtual spectacle complete with virtual champagne toasts, balloons and dancing.
"With a wish for success now and in the future," Sandra Gleason, associate dean for faculty in the Commonwealth College, "cut" the ribbon and proclaimed the site officially open.
World of Diversity is an online meeting space dedicated to promoting diversity and encouraging collaboration across fields of study, explained site creator and coordinator Deborah Gill, assistant professor of Spanish at Penn State DuBois.
"Technology and its ability to foster educator-student collaboration across the expanse of a multi-campus university, the nation and even the world have completely changed the dynamics of today's classroom," said Gill. "This is why the creation of such places as the World of Diversity is so important."
The interactive Web site interweaves audio, video and photographic images with rich textual descriptions to inform visitors about various world cultures. In addition, it features online conferences and project "boards" where classes and/or individual students can collaborate on projects.
Highlights include virtual museums in a number of different disciplines and languages; storytelling in Storybook Corner; a "room" devoted to women's issues around the world; and Culture Walks, the most recent endeavor, featuring virtual walking tours of different countries.
Penn State DuBois faculty have used the site to teach several courses. Women's studies and foreign language classes have used it to explore diversity issues, while students in other subjects, such as English and computer programming, have been logging on and creating projects. With the grand opening, the site now is fully functional and ready for use by others.
To demonstrate how the site can be used, Gill was host for a two-day online conference immediately following the grand opening. Presenters included educators and administrators from various campuses, as well as from the Lycee Astier in Aubenas, France; Kent State University; and the University of Southern California.
Visitors from around the world, including Japan, Thailand, Australia, Denmark and Cyprus, logged on to the site to view the presentations, which concentrated on the use of technology in teaching foreign languages, art and women's studies.
Gill welcomes any person or class studying any subject to log on to the site at http://diversity.ds.psu.edu/World_of_Diversity. There, visitors can tour the various elements of the virtual community, or develop a special project to add to the site. For more information, e-mail Gill at psu_diversity@yahoo.com.