University creates virtual campus

Users create avatars which can fly around the virtual campus

Science and technology graduates at the University of Sussex have created a virtual campus which looks like the university's real site.

The virtual campus can be visited by people who are signed up to the web-based virtual world, Second Life.

Each user creates a virtual version of themselves, or an avatar, which can then fly around the campus.

Researchers are looking at ways to use the campus as a platform for teaching, such as providing online resources.

Information tool

Senior lecturer Dr Judith Good said: "We are still exploring the potential usefulness of Second Life for teaching and learning.

The virtual campus is based on the university's real site

"We really wanted to push the boundaries with this project and get our students doing something exciting and innovative."

Tom Shaw, one of the graduates who worked on the project, said the web team, "really wanted to make it look like Sussex".

He said: "Instead of going for some fantasy look, we've recreated the centre of campus, including its distinctive Basil Spence architecture."

Potential uses of the virtual campus include providing online lectures and seminars for students and distance learners, he added.

It could also be used as a recruitment tool, offering potential students the chance to visit and explore the university, he said.