The 16th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference is an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality.

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

• helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
• providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
• providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience are showcased including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

VWBPE will again be using Linden Lab’s Second Life^® environment as our primary conference venue for meetings, exhibits, roundtables, and discussions. Participants are encouraged to submit proposals and immersive experience tours on any environment for education using technologies for virtual or augmented reality. We actively encourage showcasing multiple technology platforms. This includes practical application, researched papers, conceptual, and content creation supporting those technologies.

Our theme for the VWBPE 2023 conference explores the concepts behind our Uncommon Realities.

Learning from each other’s perspectives in how we visualize challenges, the skills we bring to bear in working through alternatives, prototyping solutions, and the personal meaning we find in interpreting the results of our efforts.

We face unparalleled challenges in the world today. Embracing our uncommon realities can be a source of inspiration to bring people together.

To tell our own stories.

To show people our strengths.

And to inspire others to not be afraid of being different.

More importantly, it allows us to explore a profusion of ideas we may never have thought of if not for our willingness to share and be seen.

The conference is free to attend. The cost of the conference is covered by sponsorship and donations.