Fwd: CyberSheep

[Janez Jenko]

________________________________________

From: Lewis, Ron [rml...@vt.edu]
Sent: 22 July 2013 23:56
To: Janez Jenko
Subject: RE: CyberSheep

Dear Janez:

Thanks for your message, and I apologize for my terribly long delay in responding.

Over these past months I've needed to work through a number of formalities with the group currently providing IT support for CyberSheep. Although those still have yet to entirely settle, I at least now have assurances that their involvement will continue for the upcoming academic year. Therefore, I feel I am now able to respond with a bit more knowledge and authority.

CyberSheep is available for outside users, which I believe is your interest.  Beyond myself, colleagues at 6 Universities have used CyberSheep in their undergraduate teaching. In fall 2013 we launched a new version of the game, with improvements to its web interface. With those enhancements, I believe it has become an even stronger educational tool.

In case useful, I have attached an abstract and pdf from a presentation I recently gave at the North American Colleges & Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) 2013 conference about CyberSheep, where I overview some of our experiences with the game.  I also attach the CyberSheep Instruction Manual provided to players.

In terms of access to CyberSheep, we are providing the game as a service to instructors.  Our initial offering of CyberSheep was funded through the USDA-CSREES Higher Education Challenge Grant program. That grant has ended.  With costs for IT support of the game, regrettably but perhaps inevitably there is now a fee for our offering the game: $1,200 for up to 40 'players' (as individual or multi-student teams) from an Institution or University in an academic term. This includes all management, instructional materials (e.g., CyberSheep Instruction Manual; introductory audio-presentations; CyberSheep Forum), and IT support of students' play of the game. I also remain intimately involved in its offering.

Our aim is for CyberSheep to serve as a stand-alone and supported virtual lab to complement instructors offering of animal breeding and genetics, or advanced sheep production courses, at their home institutions.

I would welcome your thoughts, and any questions you may have.

Regards

Ron


==================

Dr. Ron Lewis
Professor, Animal Genetics
Graduate Program Director
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences MC 0306
175 West Campus Drive/Litton-Reaves 3100
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
U.S.A.

Phone: (+U.S.A.) 540 231 1906
Fax: (+U.S.A.) 540 231 3010
Email: rml...@vt.edu
Web page: http://www.apsc.vt.edu/people/biographies/faculty/lewis/lewis-bio.html





-----Original Message-----
From: Janez Jenko [mailto:janez...@kis.si]
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2013 8:21 AM
To: Lewis, Ron
Subject: CyberSheep

Dear Dr. Lewis,

Is it possible to get user name and password for CyberSheep?

Kind regards.

Janez Jenko
univ.dipl.inž.zoot/BSc | Oddelek za živinorejo/Animal Science Department Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije/Agricultural Institue of Slovenia | Hacquetova ulica 17 | SI-1000 Ljubljana | Slovenija/Slovenia T +386 (0)1 280 51 34 | F +386 (0)1 280 52 55 | E janez...@kis.si | www.kis.si