【管院交換生接待志工 Buddy Program】110-2管院國際學生校園導覽 Campus Tour
國際事務室暨GMBA辦公室
撰文者／林欣穎 Hsing-Ying Lin
由於疫情持續延燒，以往都採取實體的校園導覽也必須推出線上方案！起初大家考慮過採用最常見的影片介紹方式 —— 由我們「踩點」想介紹的台大各景點，並將介紹環節製作成影片給交換學生看，活動中再穿插使用 google meet 視訊互動。但是最後我們並沒有採用上述常見的活動進行方式，因為組長提出了一個超級創新的點子 ——在虛擬實境內向學伴們介紹校園！
透過一款 Microsoft 的旗下軟體 Altspace，裡面已經有建製成台大校園模樣的虛擬空間，包括正門口、乳牛、椰子樹等台大特色元素，還有一間兩層樓的建築，裡面的牆壁可以放置高畫質圖片。而參與虛擬空間的人會擁有自己的角 色，並可以在空間裡遇到其他人的角色，彼此透過音訊溝通（人物也會隨著說話動嘴巴）。大家聽到在虛擬空間中舉行活動的提議都非常喜歡，因為不僅可以讓交換生透過操作虛擬角色，感受真人互動的場景，也能自由參觀展場！
決定好活動方式後，我們將準備事項分為行銷組、導覽組，以及小活動組。行銷組負責事前的活動邀請函製作與發放，以及將活動懶人包的說明文件寄送給想參加的交換生，並紀錄活動過程；導覽組則負責發想要介紹給交換生的校園景點，並將景點圖片放置於Altspace 虛擬空間中，於活動當日介紹解說；而小活動組則負責在活動當日帶動氣氛，準備互動環節讓交換生能認識彼此。在準備過程中我們遇到較大的困難是軟體以及設備上的問題，例如有些成員無法順利註冊並登入 Altspace，而登入後耳機和麥克風有時故障無法使用。考量到交換生在參加時有可能面臨到上述問題，我們準備了解決方案——在活動前的邀請函中附上操作說明的文件，並讓交換生能先登入註冊、體驗虛擬空間的環境，這樣就能在遇到操作問題時先聯絡我們，由我們協助解決。
活動當天的流程十分順利！等待交換生進入時，導覽組先與已經進入的交換生聊天互動，活絡氣氛後，首先帶著交換生來到校門口，從台大最有特色的地標們介紹起——歷史悠久的正門、成排的椰子樹，以及刻意放在校門口邊的可愛乳牛！都做得十分精緻逼真。接著我們走進放置各個台大特色景點圖片的建築中，導覽組細細介紹著校園內的重要建築，包括活動中心、圖書館、醉月湖、傅鐘等等，一張張色彩鮮明、清晰的圖片讓交換生很容易就能想像校園的景緻，同時能操控角色靠近圖片細看，彷彿就像在真實的校園環境中遊覽一 樣！接著有一面牆壁放著我們穿著各系領巾的照片！不同顏色的領巾分別代表著各學院，能讓交換生快速瞭解臺大的學院分部，也能看見校園導覽成員們的真實樣貌。最後回到建築外擺放著腳踏車的區域，牆上有許多會在台大出沒的特色小動物，例如松鼠、大笨鳥、麻雀，讓交換生能感受到台大是個生機蓬勃的校園！
最後進入活動尾聲，由於參與人數較預期少，原先預定的互動活動改為讓交換生和我們分別自我介紹，分享自己最喜歡的家鄉景點及食物。交換生們都十分大方的分享，讓我們了解不同國家的文化特色，而交換生們在聽完我們的分享後，也十分期待在疫情穩定後，能來台灣遊玩、並與我們交流互動！最後我們移動到 google meet 中拍攝大合照，結束歡樂的校園導覽活動！
儘管活動前報名的人數較預期少，實際參與的交換生也不多，但也由於如此，我們更能與每一位交換生深入交流。交換生們也很熱情的與我們互動，並在活動結束時表示非常喜歡我們設計的虛擬空間以及活動流程，覺得場景很細緻、導覽很用心，這讓我們非常開心感動，並因而不為參與人數少而氣餒。只要能讓參與的交換生更認識台大，並感受到我們籌辦活動的努力，那一切的付出就值得了！這次 buddy program 的校園導覽完美落幕，要謝謝組長的積極領導、組員們的用心付出，以及 Gina 從籌辦至活動舉行當日的鼓勵與協助！讓交換生能夠更認識校園，並與我們成為朋友。期待這次的校園導覽，能為交換生們揭開活力滿分的學期生活！
As the pandemic continues to spread, the previously physical campus tour had to be introduced online! Initially, we considered using the most common video presentation way – a video presentation of the various attractions at NTU, and we would like to intersperse the activity with google meet video interactions. But in the end, we didn’t design the activity in the usual way. Because the captain came up with a super innovative idea to introduce the campus in virtual reality! Through Altspace, a Microsoft software, a virtual space was created to look like NTU’s campus, including the school gate, dairy cows, coconut trees, and a two-story building with high-definition pictures on the walls. Participants in the virtual space will have their own characters and will be able to meet other people’s characters in the space. They can communicate with each other via audio (the characters will also move their mouths as they speak). Everyone loved the idea of holding an event in the virtual space, as it would not only allow exchange students to experience a real-life interactive experience through the virtual characters, but also to have the freedom to visit the exhibition space!
After deciding on the format of the event, we divided the preparation into marketing, tour guiding, and activity holding. The marketing team was responsible for designing and distributing the invitation cards, sending out the guideline package to the exchange students, and documenting the event. The tour guiding group was responsible for arranging the campus attractions presented and placing them in the Altspace virtual space. The activity holding group was responsible for stimulating the atmosphere and preparing interactive sessions for the exchange students to get to know each other. During the preparation process, the major difficulties we encountered were the software and equipment problems. For example, some members were unable to register and log in to Altspace successfully, and the headphones and microphones sometimes failed to work after logging in.
Taking into account the possibility of the exchange students facing these problems, we prepared a solution by attaching the operating instructions to the invitation letter and allowing the exchange students to log in and experience the virtual space environment before the event, so that they could contact us first if they encountered any operating problems.
The campus tour went very well! While waiting for the exchange students to enter, the team members first chatted and interacted with the students who had already entered, and then led them to the entrance of NTU, introducing them to the most unique landmarks – the historic school gate, the rows of coconut trees, and the cute dairy cows deliberately placed by the school gate! We then walked into the building where the pictures of NTU’s unique attractions were placed. The tour team introduced the important buildings on campus, including the Activity Centre, the Library, Drunken Moon Lake, the Fu Zhong, and many more. Then there was a wall with pictures of us in different scarves! The different scarves represented the different faculties, allowing exchange students to get a quick overview of the faculties. Finally, we returned to the
area outside the building where the bicycles were placed, and the walls were decorated with many of the special animals that hang out at NTU, such as squirrels, birds and sparrows, giving the exchange students a sense that NTU is a vibrant campus.
As the number of participants was smaller than expected, the scheduled interactive activities were changed to allow the exchange students to introduce themselves and share their favorite hometown attractions and food with us. The exchange students were very generous in sharing their experiences, which let us know about the cultural features of different countries. And after listening to our sharing, they were looking forward to visiting Taiwan and interacting with us after the epidemic has stabilized! Finally, we moved to the google meet to take a group photo to end the fun campus tour!
Even though not many exchange students participated in the event, we were able to interact with each and every one of them in depth. The exchange students were also very enthusiastic about interacting with us. At the end of the event, the exchange students said they really liked the virtual space and the flow of the event, that we had designed it with great care and attention to detail. What they had said made us very happy and touched. As long as the exchange students got to know more about NTU and felt the effort we put into organizing the event, it was worth all the effort! I would like to thank the captain for her leadership, the team members for their dedication, and Gina for her encouragement and assistance. It was a great opportunity for the exchange students to get to know the campus better and become friends with us. We look forward to the campus tour to kick off a vibrant semester for the exchange students!
