William Woods University - Management Information Systems department was fortunate to have Dr. Bryan Carter an associate professor of literature at Central Missouri State University . He specializes in African American literature of the 20 th Century with a primary focus on the Harlem Renaissance and has a secondary emphasis on visual culture. He has published numerous articles on his doctoral project, Virtual Harlem and has presented it at locations around the world. In the spring of 2004, he served as Professeur Invite at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne where he taught Digital Communications and Cultural Studies. Dr. Carter has also been one of the forerunners in the Department of English and Philosophy in the use of technology in the classroom where recently he has incorporated desktop videoconferencing, podcasting, Internet radio broadcasts, blogging and Second Life into each of his courses. Being a strong supporter of online collaboration, Dr. Carter actively connects his classes with those of colleagues in Sweden, France as well as universities in the states.

Virtual Harlem was conceived in 1997 by Dr. Bryan Carter during his doctoral program at the University of Missouri-Columbia and originally constructed by The Advanced Technology Center on high-end super computers using complex virtual reality software and programming. Since then, the environment has evolved and is now located in the virtual world of Second Life. Instead of it being a passive experience as it once was, Virtual Harlem/Montmartre is now an interactive environment where visitors can interact with one another and their surroundings. In addition to the visual experience, real educational content is being developed and will continue to be added to the simulation, giving Virtual Harlem/Montmartre the visual and interactive appeal that most wikis lack. In addition to the educational, entertainment and social aspect of Virtual Harlem, a unique partnership is being forged with several real-world businesses and residents interested in “living” in Harlem or Montmartre, thus creating a unique community of learners, business owners, educators, researchers and Second Life residents interacting with one another in virtual space.

Virtual Harlem Second Life