Juliann goes down the few steps to the seating area.

Juliann comes down the few steps from the stage.

Dybs carefully walks up the narrow stairs to the stage.

Dybs says, "Good evening."

Dybs says, "This turnout is certainly a tribute to the organizer."

Dybs says, "I've asked around, and there seems to be no established format for one of these presentations."

Dybs pauses, as he hears something. "Ok, then Congradulations to the Three Organizers!" :-)

Dybs says, "So I have prepared five brief descrtiptive statements about the NAU Solar System Simulation, then I propose that we proceed with Q'n'A."

Dybs says, "The NAU Solar System Simulation is a social-science and futures-studies laboratory provided through the Internet to serve undergraduate courses on several college campuses. Northern Arizona University provides the server and technical support, and I provide intersite coordination for the Simulation. I teach my own course using the Simulation, and each instructor determines the specific learning objectives, assignements and evaluations appropriate to his/her course."

Dybs says, "The NAU Solar System Simulation provides a holistic, general-purpose environment that incorporates a theme, general objectives, and resources, but does not dictate a particular curriculum. The theme is the relatively near-future exploration and human settlement of subJovian space. The date is set 'arbitrarily' at the first permanent human settlement on Mars, the last quarter of the next Century."

Dybs says, "Are you with me? Is this working?"

Dybs looks for nodding heads.

Nik nods.

Kingpin nods

Blue_Guest nods her head.

Javelin nods.

iona nods and smiles

Fulcrum nods.

Brody smiles and nods

Dybs may need a dramamine.

Dybs says, "The general objectives are to build working models of communities that are historically and scientifically plausible, ethically and aesthetically desirable, and sustainable, and to establish and maintain mutually beneficial communication and exchange within and among the several communities."

Dybs looks to see if there are any questions in the que yet,.

Dybs says, "Each class uses role-playing so that students collaborate in building a working model of a community in a future solar system; that system is created by and shared among the several classes. A PennMUSH program is used as an on-line social-science laboratory in which students build working models of their communities and of a supra-planetary political-economy, more elaborate than they could do in their classrooms."

Dybs says, "And finally :-)"

Dybs says, "I should add this postscript - regarding the word"

Dybs says, "..the phrase "in transition" in my title .... we're in transition from our first nine years in a MUD to out tenth in a PernnMUSH."

Dybs says, "Am I supposed to type qn Javelin>"

Dybs says, "Rusty?"

Javelin says, "You said communities that are 'ethically and aesthetically desirable'. Can you expand on what that means?"

Dybs says, "That is part of what the students have to decide among themselves."

Rusty' says, "Are students supposed to learn how to build and/or code, or do you have some basic building utilities set up for them to use so they don't have to learn Penn (Not that it takes that much time anyways)"

Dybs says, "The participating faculty _have_ forbade outright hostility; nonwe of us what to be teaching that."

Dybs says, "The 'building', MU*wise is not the primary point, but the means rto an end."

Dybs says, "In the MUD they all learned to build; here, we'll have to learn,."

Dybs says, "JAvelin, did I miss a qwuastion from you?"

Javelin follows up the ethics question. "Do you find that students tend to a particular ethical bent in their communities? Utilitarianism or the categorical imperative (to be ethical, an action must be acceptable if *everyone* were to do it), etc?

Dybs says, "Kingpin?"

Kingpin says, "I plan on going to OSU after next summer, is there a course there that is part of your, how should I say, "network" of schools?"

Dybs says, "They have suprised me as being impracticaly idealistic."

Javelin chuckles.

Dybs says, "Also very ...'middle-class' in their norms."

Dybs SMILES at kingpin's lead, "Not at OSU ..yet.., and I am avctively seeking new classes to participate,

Kingpin says, "Is there any way I can help? :)"

Dybs smiles.

Dybs says, "One last question?"

Kamui says, "I take it there's a chance a university could be hooked up to this program, yes?"

Juliann says, "i'm afraid we're out of time"

Dybs says, "Kaumi?"

Juliann says, "However there will be a reception following the conference where you can ask Dybs all of the questions you want."

Dybs says, "Yes, later."

Juliann smiles and hates to be mean, but we're already overtime :(

Dybs says, "Thank you all"

Dybs goes down the few steps to the seating area.

Dybs comes down the few steps from the stage.