On October 19th Loyalist College launched a revolutionary virtual tour for thousands of high school students, adult learners, teachers, guidance counsellors and parents attending the College Information Fair at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. Colleges from across Ontario participated in the fair.
Created by Loyalist’s Virtual World Design Centre, the tour proved fascinating to the fair participants as they entered the College’s virtual campus, touring the Loyalist facilities from the Toronto site. William Farr, Lead Animator in the Centre, was very pleased with the tour’s launch. “It was exciting to see our first prospective student avatars enter the virtual site, tour the campus and interact with us here in Belleville. This is an ongoing initiative and the positive response is definitely encouraging. We will continue to expand the tour.”
“This pilot takes the current level of virtual recruitment fairs to an entirely new level, way beyond a graphical chat room to an immersive experience where students can virtually explore the campus, interact with staff and faculty and get a real sense of the campus, learning facilities and programs,” said Mark Kirkpatrick, Director, Virtual World Design Centre at Loyalist. “Next to actually visiting the College there is nothing like it.”
Cathy Crenna, Acting Coordinator of Recruitment and Special Events at Loyalist, was at the information fair and saw first-hand the students’ reaction to the virtual tour. “Participants were definitely engaged and enjoyed the opportunity to explore and see the programs offered. The residence tour seemed of particular interest as their virtual characters entered and explored the apartments. Students who were interested in the Justice Studies programs were focused on the Canadian border simulation and the SIM Nursing Lab drew health and science queries. Once they tried the simulation they were hooked as they made their way across the Loyalist campus while physically kilometres away.”
To learn about programs and arrange campus tours offered at Loyalist College come to the College’s Open House on November 2nd.
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332 or Mark Kirkpatrick, Director, Virtual World Design Centre, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2356