Manchester Business School (MBS) is the largest campus based business school in the UK and is in the top 40 schools worldwide.

We have been working with MBS since early 2008 developing and supporting their virtual world presence. This has included the development and maintenance of a Second Life region, student support through remote training, developing innovative research tools and managing a series of virtual graduation ceremonies for BP project managers.

We have created a space within Second Life that is essentially a three dimensional website with rich features such as video streaming, user generated content and an intuitive and rational navigational system. It uses familiar web based concepts of top level and secondary navigation to inform the construction of a virtual space. Our design recognises that Second Life doesn’t have the physical constraints of gravity so we have created an ‘impossible’ structure that is based around a tower which can be thought of as the top level navigation. The tower has different colour coded levels from which pathways extend to modular ‘rooms’ which can be thought of as the secondary navigation. At the base of the tower is a central hub where visitors can find information about the School. The hub contains an interactive board which acts as a site map. When the desired destination is clicked a ‘push script’ moves your avatar along a pathway and up the tower to the desired level. This avoids navigational error and is far superior to teleporting from place to place. By pushing the avatar there is no disconnection of space and the journey is contexualised.

The virtual environment is supported by a website (include hyperlink) where visitors can register an MBS avatar (and gain direct access to the region). Using our unique room booking system registered users can also book virtual meeting rooms to ensure privacy during meetings.

By placing usability at the heart of our design we have created a visually stimulating environment where use of colour and space combine to enhance the user experience.

Secondlife.mbs.ac.uk

One of the main attractions of virtual technology is that it can connect employees based in the far corners of the globe in a far more cost-effective and greener way than traditional methods. For MBS and BP it was this ability to allow interaction between geographically separated employees that encouraged them to choose virtual worlds for an important annual event.

‘Managing Projects’ is a distance learning course (run by Manchester Business School) for experienced BP project managers. Having completed the course it would be near impossible for the executives to take part in a traditional awards ceremony as they are spread across several continents. By holding a virtual ceremony, we make it possible for them to be rewarded for their achievements with minimal disruption; saving time and money as well as reducing environmental impact.

Similar to real-world graduations, they come complete with specially designed graduation gowns, lifelike avatars, an academic procession and speeches – the ultimate finale to an e-learning experience. During the ceremony the Project Managers listen to a series of speeches and then receive virtual certificates from the Vice-chancellor of the University. The ceremony is followed by a networking event and we provide participants with a machinima video of the occasion.