The Immersive Open Pedagogies (IOP) program of UP Open University (UPOU) in partnership with the Center for Open and Distance Teaching and Learning (CODTL), and Immersive Spatial Technologies and Realities (ISTaR Labs) conducted a 3-day workshop on First Workshop for the Collaborative Development of UPOU’s Digital Twin for the Metaverse Academic Nexus for Global Opportunities (MANGO) on October 21-23, 2024 at the Centennial Center for Digital Learning (CCDL) Auditorium, UP Open University.
The workshop sessions was led by Professor Dr. Lunchakorn Wuttisittikulkij, Gene Go Shufflin, Sirapop Saengthongkam, Pruk Sasithong and Nawee Wuttiananchai from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand); Mr. Kadek Dendy Senapartha from Duta Wacana Christian University (Indonesia); Moua Vong Duean Yaseng and Koy Panetavanh from the National University of Laos with participating students and staff from UP Open University (UPOU), UP Los Banos (UPLB), and UP Cebu.
The first day of the workshop was opened by Professor Dr. Lunchakorn Wuttisittikulkij, introducing and asking the participants to navigate the “IntaniaVerse” which showcases the metaverse of Chulalongkorn University. Gene Go Shufflin started the workshop proper by introducing the basic tools of Blender, a 3D creation suite. Koy Panetavanh taught how to use the edit mode and how to apply material and texture to objects. Moua Vong Duean Yaseng on the other hand, taught about using the modifier and intermediate modeling.
A new software was taught on the second day of the workshop, Unity – a 3D development engine immersive and interactive experiences led by Mr. Kadek Dendy Senapartha and Pruk Sasithong. The rest of the day was dedicated to hands-on activities, Professor Dr. Wuttisittikulkij asked the participants to scan their faces to be part of the OUverse using Avaturn, a realistic avatar creator which can be customized into different characters. The second activity was to choose an object around the CCDL Auditorium and convert it into a 3D object.
On the last day of the workshop, Nawee Wuttiananchai taught about Interacting through User Input and the Unity User Interface. Sirapop Saengthongkam taught about creating an avatar using the VRoid software, an avatar creating software wherein trainees created and designed their own avatar for the metaverse.
In between workshop sessions, trainers are hands-on in checking the participants progress to make sure everyone was able to catch up.
As a concluding activity, participants were asked to paint their own version of the UPOU CCDL Building. Four participants presented their outputs, Ben Paul Dela Cruz from UP Los Banos, Christine Faye Pesimo from UP Open University; Liam Inaki Gillamac and Daniel Alexis Cruz from UP Cebu.
The workshop was a productive event for the participants as they learned new skills and discovered the field of metaverse. The collaboration between the four countries helps in building connections, fostering the expansion of the metaverse for the future.
Written by Phoebe Apostol
Edited by Roberto Figueroa Jr.
