Dateline: 12/15/99
One terrific use of the Net is to let potential college students visit prospective campuses, virtually. Lots of schools have a variety of photographic tours and some are very elaborate. Some have even created 3D reconstructions of their campus. One particularly interesting and elaborate 3D example is the V-UCSC (Virtual - University of California and Santa Cruz) project.
The V-UCSC project is an elaborate collection of campus buildings with links to loads of useful information. Better yet, the virtual campus was built by students. Faculty are now beginning to use the virtual spaces to display some of their of projects and work.
The project was originated and supported by J. Michael Thompson of
OASAS (Outreach, Admissions and Student Academic Services), a
part of the university. The idea is simple and elegant, giving potential students a feel both for the
physical layout and environment of the campus and a taste of the life therein.
Located throughout the virtual buildings and campus are teleport centers. These are
virtual
bus stops that instantly take you to your desired location.
Upon entering the campus you are initially placed just outside of Cook Hall. Inside you can get introductory material about the campus. To your right is a teleport center which can take you to other campus locations. One of the intriguing aspects of the project is the involvement of students.
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