Speaking at the Academic Librarians 2012 Conference - Syracuse University, June 12-13

I've been invited to attend and speak at the Academic Librarians 2012 Conference at Syracuse University from June 12-13.  This conference will be a great opportunity to connect with folks interested in building the future of immersive learning and information literacy.  Here's a description from the conference website:

Value. Learning. Technology. Librarianship.  As with all libraries and organizations, we must constantly demonstrate our value to our stakeholders amidst the changes brought on us at an increasing rate by the technology that we and our students use.  Technology shapes our interactions with others, our learning techniques and styles, and our pedagogy; it can affect the way our value is perceived. This year’s conference explores value, community, collaboration, social awareness, and applications that enhance learning. How do we demonstrate the value of the academic library in this changing information environment? How do we reach and teach our students? How is information literacy being transformed? Is it possible to game to learn or learn to game? What is the new librarianship?

The topic of my presentation will be "Intersections of the Future: Gaming Technology, Virtual Worlds and the Web."  Here's a summary of what I'll be talking about:

John will share his experiences using gaming technology and virtual world platforms to augment education. He will discuss future trends in specific gaming technologies such as Unity3d as well as ReactionGrid's Jibe platform, a multiuser virtual world system that works on the web and with mobile devices. John will also explain common pitfalls when exploring virtual world technologies and highlight the unique affordances of virtual worlds when they are interwoven with existing social media and web-based educational content. 

Thanks again to Mary-Carol Lindbloom, Executive Director of the South Central Regional Library Council, for kindly inviting me to participate.  I'll be at all of the conference sessions, so please drop me a tweet if you're also attending and would like to connect.

See you in Syracuse!

-John "Pathfinder" Lester
Chief Learning Officer
ReactionGrid, Inc.