Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?

This website is part of the award winning elective module ‘Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?’ offered by Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) since 2009. It is taken by undergraduate students in the School of Art and Design and the School of Architecture as part of the Optional Module Programme.

Designed and developed by John O’Connor, it was originally delivered in partnership with Dublin Virtually Live in Second Life to TU Dublin students and others from around the natural world and Second Life. Dr Claudia Igbrude (aka Locks Aichi), of the Learning Teaching & Technology Centre at TU Dublin, co-taught on the module until 2016. From 2014 to 2016 it was offered jointly with University of Akron (UA) in collaboration with Professsor Dudley Turner (aka Dudley Dreamscape), Dean of the College of Creative and Professional Arts. In 2021 the module formed a parternship with Çağ University in Türkiye, led by Prof Mürat Gulmez (aka Magua Theriac), and Inspiration Island in Second Life, led by Lynne Berret (aka Lissena Wisdomseeker), to offer the International Student Project. Prof Lia Pop, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, joined the partnership in 2024 and now Irish, Turkish and Romanian students take part in the VWEC Student Challenge together.

The module won the Jennifer Burke Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in 2010, a national award made by the Irish Learning Technology Association and Dublin City University. In January 2012 it won the Learning Without Frontiers Award in London in the Further and Higher Education Innovation category.

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John O’Connor, Acuppa Tae’s avatar in the natural world.

John O’Connor / Acuppa Tae
Co Director of VR Lab at Çağ University and Emeritus Fellow at TU Dublin.

John is co-director of the VR Lab at Çağ University in Türkiye and an Emeritus Fellow in the School of Art & Design at Technological University Dublin in Ireland. He is also a member of the Culture & Society Research Hub at TU Dublin; and the European Culture and Technology Laboratory at the European University of Technology (EUt+). He is also a member of the board of the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium.

At TU Dublin he previously served as Strategic Lead for EUt+, Director & Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, and Head of the School of Art & Design where he was engaged in shaping the future of higher education across borders.

Since joining the university in 1994 his career has been marked by innovation, leadership, and a dedication to nurturing talent. Highlights include the development of the East Quad as home of Arts and Humanities at the university’s new Dublin city centre campus in Grangegorman; and establishing the BA in Visual Art programme, delivered in Sherkin Island, which attracted significant attention with the formal visit by President of Ireland Mary McAleese to the island for the conferring of degree awards in 2010.

In addition, he led the development of a professional Master of Arts programme aimed at a strategic bolstering of the Irish design sector; and developed the module Virtual Environments: Is one life enough? which is delivered entirely in the virtual world Second Life®. His contributions to education have been recognised with awards such as the Jennifer Burke Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

Before joining the university he co-founded Information Design in Dublin to work with national and international clients. His involvement with representative bodies, including the Institute of Designers in Ireland, Design Business Ireland, and the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, demonstrate a commitment to advancing the design industry. As a member of various boards and advisory groups, he has influenced educational and industry standards while advocating for the growth of design in Ireland.

Main research interests are the use of VR and AI in education and access for all. Visit John’s website.