Teaching with Technology: The VROMA Virtual Community

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Teaching with Technology The VROMA Virtual
Community

• Barbette Stanley Spaeth, Tulane University
• Diane Harris-Cline, University of Cincinnati

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What is VROMA?
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A Virtual Community

• A community of teachers and students who help to
  create on-line resources for teaching Latin and
  ancient Roman culture and who use these resources
  in their courses

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A Virtual Space

• An on-line place, modeled in part on ancient
  Rome, where students and teachers can interact
  both synchronously and asynchronously, hold
  courses and lectures, and share resources for the
  study of the ancient world

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A Collection of Resources

• A collection of and filter for Internet
  resources, including texts, commentaries, images,
  maps, and other materials. These resources are
  extendable and customizable for a variety of
  reading levels and curricula.

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A Project Funded by the NEH

• Initial funding for the VROMA project was
  provided by the National Endowment for the
  Humanities.
• The directors of VROMA are
• Suzanne Bonefas, Associated Colleges of the South
• Michael Arnush , Skidmore College
• Kenny Morrell, Rhodes College
• Barbara McManus, College of New Rochelle
• Steve Nimis, Miami University

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What are the objectives of VROMA?
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Overview

• The VROMA project has been designed to test five
  hypothesizes about the role modern information
  technology can play in facilitating the teaching
  and learning of Classics.

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Promote Effective Learning

• Technologys capacity for simultaneous
  presentation of different types of resources
  promotes effective learning in Classics.

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Generate Interest in Teaching and Learning
Classics

• Technologys capacity to create a sense of
  immediacy and intimate contact with the classical
  world generates interest and personal investment
  in teaching and learning Classics.

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Bridge Diversity, Develop Community and Foster
Collaboration

• Technologys capacity for rapid and efficient
  communication helps to bridge diversity, develop
  community, and foster collaboration among
  individuals in distant locations and different
  types of institutions

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Expedite Distance Learning and Cross-Institutional
Collaborative Courses

• The coupling of cross-platform, time-independent
  web technology with real-time, interactive MOO
  technology expedites distance learning and
  cross-institutional collaborative courses.

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Improve General Technological Interest and
Proficiency

• Guided and goal-oriented use of technology in
  Classics courses improves general technological
  interest and proficiency.

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How does VROMA work?
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Dual Interface

• VROMA unites two types of Internet technology
  World-Wide-Web and MOO.
• WWW provides opportunity to display images and
  provide links to other sites.
• MOO provides textual descriptions and enables
  users to experience virtual reality, in that
  they can speak and act inside a virtual space.

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MOO

• Multi-user Object-Oriented Enviroment
• Derived from MUD Multi-User Dungeon
• Origins in Dungeons and Dragons
• Now used as pedagogical tool to create space in
  which students and teachers can interact live
  online.

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A Demonstration of VROMA
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Home Page of VROMA (1)
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Home Page of VROMA (2)
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Home Page of VROMA (3)
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Web Gateway (1)
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Web Gateway (2)
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Loading VROMA
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VROMA Windows
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Prima Porta Vromana (1)
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Prima Porta VRomana (2)
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Characters in VROMA (1)
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Characters in VROMA (2)
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Characters in VROMA (3)
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Characters in VROMA (4)
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Jump to Rome