iLRN Central — Main Hub

iLRN_Central (Agora Welcome Center)

0. Build Governance Rules

Every asset must either:

• help users understand where they are

• help users understand where to go

• help users understand why this space matters

If it does none of these, it should be removed.

• Navigation must be resolvable within 10 seconds of entry

• No critical function depends on a single modality (e.g., color-only signage)

• All Frames must connect back to iLRN_Central in ≤ 2 steps

1. Frame Overview

Frame Name: iLRN_Central (Agora Welcome Center)

Associated Program Area(s):

• Main Stage
• Orientation / Wayfinding Hub
• Cross-program campus gateway (Academic, iLEAD, Futures, Community)

Primary Purpose:

A lightweight, low-polygon Agora that serves as the central orientation, navigation, and gathering space for iLRN2026. It anchors the entire virtual campus by providing immediate clarity on where to go, what is happening, and how to engage across the conference ecosystem.

• Codex Page URL: https://codex.immersivelrn.org/books/online-hosts-ilrn2026-private/page/ilrn-central-main-hub 

• Page Last Updated: April 15, 2026

• Linked Frames:
  
• Knowledge Tree Branch Houses (all)
• Student Center
• Thirsty Scholar Debate Hall
• Guided Virtual Adventures HQ
• Special Track / Showcase Frames
  

Secondary Functions:

• Informal gathering and discussion
• Lightweight event hosting (announcements, transitions)
• Visual index of the field and conference activity

For Target Audiences:

• All attendees (primary)
• Presenters
• Volunteers
• Organizing Committee
• First-time visitors

Operational Mode:

• ☑ Online-only (June 14–15)
• ☑ Hybrid (Online + Athens)

2. Ownership & Stewardship

Frame Owner (Accountable):

Jonathon Richter (CEO/President, iLRN)

Co-Steward(s):

• Virtual Campus Architect & Community Lead
• Technical Lead (Frame VR)
• Volunteer Coordinator (Operations)

Decision Authority:

Design and navigation: Virtual Campus Architect

Operations and scheduling: Conference Program Chairs

Technical issues: CTO / Tech Lead

Escalation Path:

Greeter/Volunteer → Tech Support Lead → CTO → CEO (if structural)

3. Design & Experience Intent

Experience Goal:

Participants should immediately understand (within seconds) where they are, what pathways exist, and how to enter the intellectual and social life of the conference. The space should feel open, legible, and active—more like a civic forum than a building.

Design Constraints:

• Ultra low-polygon environment (performance-first)
• Minimal textures; repeated modular assets
• Clear sightlines across the entire Agora
• No enclosed or maze-like structures
• Poster-based navigation (not kiosks)

Key Interaction Patterns:

• Arrival / Orientation:
  Users spawn at the center axis facing the amphitheater and main stage. An orientation poster kiosk shall be very nearby with wayfinding (e.g. welcome, map, quadrants by color: The four cardinal zones are immediately visible:
  
• Explore the Field (back wall)
• What’s Happening (front)
• Join the Conversation (left)
• See the Work (right)
  
• Primary Activity:
  Users move to one of four walls, each containing eight clickable poster-panels. These act as gateways into the broader ecosystem (Frames, sessions, Codex-linked content).
• Central Interaction:
  The amphitheater supports live or ambient gathering, with a stage and screen for announcements or featured content.
• Exit / Transition:
  Users select a poster (gateway) → transition to a target Frame → can return to iLRN_Central within ≤ 2 steps.
• GoTo menus have legible links to each Frame across the virtual campus 

Athens Reuse or Extension:

Functions as the conceptual “digital Agora” complement to physical gathering spaces in Athens. Can be mirrored through signage, program structure, and session clustering.

Opinion:

This redesign corrects the prior failure mode: overbuilt architecture that obscured purpose. The Agora now behaves as an index, not a destination.

4. Wayfinding & Navigation

Entry Points:

• Default spawn location (center axis)
• Direct links from schedule (CVENT)
• Guided tours and onboarding flows

Internal Wayfinding Elements:

• Four labeled zones (large-scale text):
  
• Explore the Field
• What’s Happening
• Join the Conversation
• See the Work
  
• Eight poster-panels per zone (32 total):
  
• Each is a clear, clickable gateway
  
• Central amphitheater (visual anchor)
• Perimeter column rhythm (subtle spatial boundary cue)

Exit Paths:

• Poster → linked Frame
• Return links from all Frames → iLRN_Central
• Guided navigation (optional)

Wayfinding Owner:

Virtual Campus Architect

5. Accessibility & Inclusion Checklist

Accessibility Lead:

(Insert)

Baseline Commitments:

• ☑ Clear signage and readable contrast
• ☑ Audio redundancy (voice + visual cues)
• ☑ Spatial simplicity (single open layout)
• ☑ Alternative participation pathway documented (Codex + Zoom)

Known Constraints or Risks:

• Poster density (32 total) may overwhelm without strong visual hierarchy
• Reliance on spatial navigation may disadvantage first-time XR users

Athens Considerations:

• Align signage language with physical program categories
• Ensure consistency in terminology across modalities

6. Volunteer & Support Roles

Role	Name	Backup	Notes
Greeter / Wayfinder			First point of contact at spawn
Presentation Moderator			For amphitheater use
Tech Support			Visible and accessible at all times
Volunteer Float			Covers overflow and transitions

Training Required:

• ☑ Yes (Codex onboarding page)

Shift Coverage Notes:

• Continuous coverage across 48-hour global cycle
• Explicit handoffs between time zones

7. Presentation & Session Operations

Presentation Format(s):

• ☑ Live (announcements only)
• ☑ Pre-recorded (screen playback optional)
• ☑ Mixed

Moderator Responsibilities:

• Speaker readiness
• Timekeeping
• Q&A (if applicable)
• Transition signaling

Speaker Support Assets:

• Backup links (Zoom, YouTube)
• Slide hosting (external)

8. Technical Configuration

Frame URL: (insert)

Capacity: ~100 (Plus Frame recommended)

Backup Space: Secondary Hub Frame (if needed)

Known Failure Modes:

• Overcapacity at spawn
• Audio overlap in amphitheater
• Users not understanding poster interactivity

Contingency Plan:

• Redirect to backup Hub
• Push users to Zoom session links
• Deploy volunteers to guide manually

9. 48-Hour Online Conference Integration

Primary Active Windows:

• Continuous (global participation model)

Linked Events:

• Opening / closing moments
• Transition announcements
• Informal gatherings

Quiet / Reset Periods:

• Scheduled low-activity windows between peak cycles

10. Post-Conference Use

Intended Afterlife:

• ☑ Reusable community space
• ☑ Archive (poster panels updated or repurposed)

Documentation Owner:

Virtual Campus Architect + Codex Steward

HUB-03  iLRN Central — Main Hub

Frame Type	Hub — Primary Gathering Space	Status	OPEN
Track / Branch	iLRN ORG — Campus-Wide	Capacity	300 users
FrameVR URL	http://framevr.io/ilrn-central
Notes	Needs completion via FrameVR. Greek Agora-themed hub for iLRN2026 — intended capacity ~300, serving as social complement to Zoom sessions and the in-person Athens conference.

Purpose Statement  — what iLRN Central must do

iLRN Central is the front door of the iLRN virtual campus. It is the first place most participants will land, the space that sets the tone for the entire conference, and the orientation layer that makes every other Frame navigable. This location acts as an active commons. Every design decision here must serve three functions simultaneously: orient newcomers, connect experienced participants to what they are looking for, and embody the Open Society theme of iLRN2026.

1  Ownership & Governance

Frame Lead / Owner	Jonathon Richter
Content Contributors	all 2026 Frame Team
Technical Steward	Michael Hamaoka
Accessibility Reviewer	Sarune Savickaite
Last Updated	April 04, 2026

2  Learning Design Requirements  — informed by UDL 3.0 (CAST, 2024)

iLRN Central must operationalize the campus learning design principles at the point of entry. The following requirements are non-optional — they are the learning design layer of the build, not decorative or optional additions.

	Orientation & Scaffolding (Frehlich: guided vs. open learning; novices need maps)	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	A clearly marked 'Start Here' zone exists at the entry point with movement and navigation instructions	Visitor locates it within 10 sec of entering, without prior knowledge
	Signage explicitly differentiates pathways for: first-time visitors / returning members / conference presenters	Three distinct pathway signs or boards present at entry
	A 'What is iLRN?' explainer board is present — including the mission statement and three network lenses	Board visible from entry; text legible on mobile screen
	A campus map or Frame directory is embedded as a board or linked object	Full campus map (all 24 frames) accessible from Central without leaving the Frame
	Representation — Multiple Ways to Access Content (UDL 3.0, CAST 2024)	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	All navigation signage uses text labels AND visual/spatial cues — not spatial position alone	No portal or zone identified only by colour or shape
	A link to the Codex (BookStack) is prominently featured as a text-equivalent layer for all in-world content	Codex URL linked on at least one board in the entry zone
	Live event schedule is posted as a board in Central (not only in external calendar systems)	Current week's schedule visible in-Frame
	Action & Expression — Multiple Ways to Participate (UDL 3.0; Frehlich: transactional learning)	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	At least two asynchronous contribution pathways are available from Central (e.g. forum link, Codex comment)	Both links confirmed live
	Quest/scavenger hunt entry point or first clue is embedded in Central (iLRN2026 Greek Agora theme)	Quest entry confirmed with George / Greek team before launch
	Discord server link is embedded in Central as a contribution/community pathway	Discord invite link confirmed live and not expired
	Engagement — Relevance, Autonomy, and Belonging (UDL 3.0; Frehlich: emotional well-being)	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	Greek Agora theming is applied — cultural artifacts, philosophical references, spatial identity elements	At least 3 distinct Agora-themed elements placed; performance budget not exceeded
	iLRN2026 conference theme (From Plato's Cave to Open Immersive Societies) is visually present	Theme text or visual visible from entry zone
	Social spaces (Haptics Café, Thirsty Scholar) are signposted directly from Central	Portal or board links to both social spaces
	A welcoming statement from iLRN leadership is included (text board or video board)	Statement approved by organising team; video set to NOT autoplay

3  Design & Build Checklist

every asset must either help users understand where they are, where to go, or why this space matters. If it does none of those, it is a likely candidate for removal 

	Layout (Hub Frame — high traffic, open, multi-portal)	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	Open, uncluttered layout at entry — no objects blocking central walking path	Walk path clear for avatar movement in all directions from spawn point
	Multiple portals (minimum 4) connecting to key campus zones	≥ 4 portals: Branch Houses hub, Special Projects, Community Spaces, and Expo
	Consistent portal visual language used — same portal asset style as all other Frames	Portal asset matches campus-wide standard
	Frame environment size is appropriate for 300-user capacity — large, open environment selected	Not a small meeting room env; auditorium or plaza-scale
	Navigation	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	No dead-end navigation paths — every portal links out; Central links in from all Frames	Verified by walking test; all portals bidirectional
	'Go To Menu' configured with named links to all 24 campus Frames	Frame link list complete and tested
	Navigation from entry to any Branch House ≤ 2 portal hops	Routing map confirms ≤ 2 hops to any Frame
	Signage	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	All text legible at default eye level on a mobile screen without zooming	Phone screen test by reviewer
	No signage relies on colour alone	Each colour-coded element has a text or icon label
	Signage uses consistent font style with rest of campus	Matches campus-wide signage template

4  Performance & Asset Budget  — 300-user hub

iLRN Central has the highest expected concurrent user count on campus (300). Performance budgets should be treated as hard ceilings, not guidelines. Check via Frame Settings → Performance Rating or ?debug=true → Babylon Inspector.

	Performance Monitor Readings — record actuals in fields below	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	FPS ≥ 40 on reviewer desktop (Chrome/Edge)	Target 60; below 40 = must fix
	FPS ≥ 30 on iOS Safari mobile	iOS Safari is hardest platform; must pass
	Draw call count ≤ 200	Babylon Inspector → Stats; hard ceiling per FrameVR docs
	Active face/poly count ≤ 130,000	Babylon Inspector → Stats; hard ceiling per FrameVR docs
	Material count ≤ 20	Babylon Inspector → Stats; hard ceiling per FrameVR docs
	Performance Rating not flagged RED in Frame Settings	Yellow = caution; Red = block launch
	Asset Hygiene — especially critical for high-capacity Hub	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	All images compressed before import (squoosh.app)	No raw camera/screen captures imported
	No 3D model from Sketchfab imported without poly-count review	Flagged models in Assets list reviewed and resolved
	Unused assets deleted (not just hidden)	Assets list contains only active assets
	Greek Agora themed assets are low-poly — confirmed before placement	Each Agora asset poly-counted before upload  Check with the owner of the asset before deletion!!
	Media Settings	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	All videos set to NOT autoplay	Each video asset → autoplay = OFF
	Webcam/streaming screens disabled unless live event in progress	Default OFF; enable only during scheduled sessions
	No Smoke particle effects in use	Smoke = high GPU cost; zero tolerance in a 300-user hub
	No excessive animated objects; animations minimised	Each looping animation adds ongoing GPU load

FPS Desktop
FPS iOS Safari
Draw Calls
Poly Count
Materials
Perf. Rating

5  Content & Boards Checklist

	Required Boards — iLRN Central	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	'Start Here' orientation board (movement, interaction, navigation instructions)	Board present at entry spawn point
	'What is iLRN?' mission statement board (includes 3 network lenses)	Text matches approved mission statement in this document
	Campus map / Frame directory (all 24 frames named and linked)	All 24 Frame names and URLs current
	Conference schedule board — current week / full conference programme	Schedule confirmed with programme team; updated weekly during conference
	iLRN2026 theme board (From Plato's Cave to Open Immersive Societies)	Design approved by organising team
	Leadership welcome statement (text or video board; video = no autoplay)	Content approved; if video, autoplay = OFF
	Codex link board (BookStack private and/or public pages as appropriate)	URL live and tested
	Discord community link board	Invite link live and not expired
	Quest / scavenger hunt entry point (Greek Agora theme; first clue or quest intro)	Content confirmed with George / Greek team
	Portals to: Branch Houses area / Special Projects / Community Spaces / Expo Halls	All 4 portal types present and functional
	iLRN2026 Greek Agora Theming Elements	Criterion / Pass Threshold
	At least 3 Agora-themed cultural artifacts placed (columns, amphora, laurel, philosophical text)	Each asset poly-counted and within budget before placement
	Philosophical reference to Plato's Cave visible in Central space	Text or visual element present
	Quest entry object placed and linked to quest system	Confirmed live with George / Greek team

5A iLRN Network Membership Quadrant — Civic Offices

Function within iLRN Central

The iLRN Network Membership Quadrant is a participation and intake district within iLRN Central. It replaces the former Circle of Scholars quadrant and serves as the main civic interface for joining, identifying, routing, and contributing within the iLRN network. This quadrant should not read as a decorative conceptual area. It is an operational zone that helps convert visitors into known participants, members, contributors, partners, volunteers, and chapter contacts.

This quadrant must support both:

• conference-period onboarding, especially for attendees entering the professional layer of the campus, and
• year-round network participation, including public visitors, prospective partners, and future contributors.

Its purpose is to give users a clear answer to the question: How do I formally connect to iLRN from here?

Design Requirement

All twelve offices in this quadrant must be immediately understandable as distinct participation pathways. Users should be able to identify the correct office within a few seconds based on plain-language naming, visible signage, and a short one-sentence purpose statement.

This quadrant must not require prior knowledge of iLRN’s organizational structure in order to be usable.

Core Build Logic

Each office in the quadrant should do at least one of the following:

• identify who a person is in relation to the network
• route them to the correct next layer of participation
• capture structured interest for follow-up
• open an ongoing relationship with iLRN

Where possible, forms should be short, role-based, and use branching logic instead of forcing everyone through the same intake sequence.

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iLRN-Central Civic Offices Directory

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1. Membership Application Office
*Campus Link

https://framevr.io/ilrn-central#office-membership-applications

Primary intake point for people formally joining or identifying themselves within the network. This office should distinguish among conference participants, public visitors, students, educators, researchers, and other participant types so that downstream records and access pathways can be updated accordingly.

LINK: MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Outputs: member profile record, access tier clarification, role-based follow-up.

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2. Campus Visitor Registry
* Campus Link
https://framevr.io/ilrn-central#office02-campus-visitors

A lightweight visitor sign-in office for people who are exploring the campus but are not yet joining as members. This should function like a guest book with optional identification, allowing iLRN to thank visitors, understand traffic, and create a minimal visitor record.

LINK: CAMPUS VISITOR REGISTRY FORM

Outputs: visitor record, follow-up thank-you, possible later invitation into membership pathways.

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3. Newsletter Subscription & Contribution Office
*Campus Link

https://framevr.io/ilrn-central#office-subscribe-and-contribute

Subscription and editorial-interest intake for the newsletter. This office should allow users to subscribe, confirm preferred content streams, and indicate whether they would like to contribute material such as articles, interviews, field reports, or resource recommendations.

LINK: SUBSCRIBE and CONTRIBUTE TO OUR iLRN NEWSLETTER FORM

Outputs: segmented newsletter preferences, contributor interest record, editorial follow-up.

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4. Partner Development Inquiry Office

Professional intake point for institutional engagement. This office is for organizations or representatives interested in collaboration, sponsorship, partnership, standards participation, or broader institutional membership.

Outputs: qualified partner lead, partnership inquiry record, routing to leadership or business development follow-up.

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5. Volunteer & Contributor Interest Office

Participation intake for people willing to give time, labor, coordination, facilitation, technical support, or domain expertise. This office should make visible the different kinds of service pathways across conference operations, virtual campus support, community activities, and longer-term network work.

Outputs: volunteer record, skill matching data, routing to appropriate teams.

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6. Community Channels Connection Office

Routing point for ongoing participation in community spaces. This office helps people identify and opt into the relevant communication and community channels across Discord, Invision Community, special interest groups, and design-based research or topic-specific spaces.

Outputs: channel preference data, targeted outreach capability, stronger community routing.

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7. Regional Capacity & Community of Practice Affiliation Office

Geographic and chapter-related intake. This office helps users identify existing regional or national communities of practice and also captures interest from people who may want to help start a new chapter where none exists.

Outputs: chapter match, regional interest record, chapter formation lead if relevant.

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8. Codex Contribution Office

Entry point for crossing from reader to contributor within the Codex. This office should explain the Codex as living knowledge infrastructure and provide a pathway for contributing resources, reflections, case material, or structured entries.

Outputs: Codex contributor lead, knowledge contribution intake, orientation to BookStack/Codex use.

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9. Standards Initiative Stakeholder Office

Intake point for stakeholders interested in standards and competency work. This includes educators, researchers, institutions, and practitioners who want to participate in standards-related discussions, pilots, frameworks, or allied competency-building efforts.

Outputs: standards stakeholder record, working group prospects, follow-up for standards initiatives.

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10. Events & Programming Participation Office

Office for people who want to engage through scheduled activities such as webinars, book clubs, debates, workshops, community sessions, or future event programming. This office captures programming interest apart from general membership.

Outputs: event participation interest record, future programming lists, cohort development.

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11. Innovation & Project Incubation Office

Office for people who want to propose, join, or support emerging projects. This may include research collaborations, pilot programs, practice showcases, design experiments, or work connected to the Innovation Garden and related initiatives.

Outputs: project idea intake, collaborator matchmaking, incubation pipeline.

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12. Sponsorship & Funding Interest Office

Office for organizations or individuals interested in supporting iLRN financially through sponsorship, funding partnerships, donations, or aligned support mechanisms. This should be framed professionally and distinctly from general partnership inquiries.

Outputs: funding lead, sponsorship inquiry, development follow-up.

Pass Thresholds — Membership Quadrant

Criterion / Pass Threshold

• A clearly labeled entrance or directory for the Network Membership Quadrant is visible from the main hub circulation area
• Quadrant identifier visible without entering a side corridor or secondary chamber
• All 12 civic offices are named in plain language and include a one-sentence descriptor
• No office title depends on insider terminology alone
• At least the first 7 priority offices are live by launch

Membership, Visitor Registry, Newsletter, Partner Development, Volunteer, ___, ___ offices confirmed functional

• Each active office contains a working form or link object
• No dead-end office spaces
• Every office includes a visible “What happens next?” statement
• User can tell whether they will receive follow-up, gain access, or be routed elsewhere

Membership Application Office distinguishes member type or user role

• Branching logic or equivalent field tested
• Visitor Registry remains lighter-weight than membership application
• Visitor pathway takes materially less time to complete
• Partner Development and Sponsorship/Funding offices are clearly differentiated
• Institutional relationship inquiries do not collapse into generic contact capture
• Regional Capacity office links to existing chapter information and chapter formation guide
• Chapter pathway live and tested

Codex Contribution office explains what the Codex is for newcomers

• Explanation readable in-Frame and linked externally if needed
• Standards Initiative office is framed in professional language suitable for external stakeholders
• Reviewed for clarity and tone

All office links are accessible outside the Frame as fallback pathways & reflected on our website 

Critical participation does not fail if Frame navigation fails

Wayfinding Requirements for This Quadrant

• The quadrant must be signposted from the main iLRN Central entry area.
• It must be possible to understand the difference between:
  
• joining the network,
• visiting the campus,
• subscribing to communications,
• volunteering,
• institutional partnership,
• chapter affiliation,
• contributing to the Codex,
• participating in standards work.
  
• If the twelve-office structure produces clutter, the first layer should be a directory board that routes users into grouped pathways such as:
  
• Join
• Visit
• Contribute
• Partner
• Organize Regionally
• Build Knowledge
• Support / Fund
  

Such grouping may be spatial, textual, or both, but the underlying office distinctions should still remain clear.

Accessibility Requirements for This Quadrant

• No office may be identifiable by color alone.
• Every office must have readable text labeling.
• Essential participation pathways must be reachable from a stationary avatar position through boards or linked objects.
• All forms must have a web-accessible fallback link.
• Language should be welcoming and legible to newcomers, not written as internal administrative shorthand.

Operational Notes

This quadrant will only be valuable if each office is tied to an actual response workflow. A live form without clear downstream ownership will produce dead records instead of network activity.

Each office should therefore have:

• a responsible owner,
• a follow-up destination,
• and a defined response expectation.

At minimum, ownership for each office should be tracked in an internal operations table even if that table does not appear in the public-facing version of the hub page.

6  Planned Activities & Events

Activity / Event	Date	Owner	Status

7  Connected Frames & Portals

Destination Frame	Portal Type	Notes

8  Asset Inventory

Asset Name / Description	Poly Count	File Size	Owner

9  Accessibility Sign-Off  — completed by a reviewer, not the Frame owner

	Wayfinding & Legibility	Criterion / Pass Threshold
☐	New user can orient and find the Start Here zone within 10 seconds of entry	Blind test with a volunteer unfamiliar with the Frame
☐	All text boards legible on mobile screen at default eye level — no zoom required	Phone screen test
☐	No navigation element identified by colour or spatial position alone	Confirmed with audio OFF and colour-blind simulation
	Inclusivity	Criterion / Pass Threshold
☐	No flashing or strobing effects in any part of the Frame	Zero tolerance — photosensitivity risk
☐	Critical content is accessible from a stationary avatar position	No movement required to read any essential orientation board
☐	Language used on all boards is plain, jargon-free, and welcoming to newcomers	Reviewed by someone outside the organising team
	Device & Bandwidth	Criterion / Pass Threshold
☐	Frame fully usable on Chrome / Edge desktop (navigation complete, no crash)	Full navigation test completed
☐	Frame usable on iOS Safari mobile (navigation complete, no crash or major lag)	Full navigation test completed on iPhone
☐	Frame loads within 30 sec on simulated Slow 3G (Chrome DevTools → Network → Slow 3G)	Slow 3G test completed and passed
	Sign-Off	Criterion / Pass Threshold
☐	Reviewer name and date recorded below	Required before Frame status = Ready

Reviewed By
Review Date
Outcome
Follow-Up Items

10  Codex Integration (BookStack)

Codex Book / Chapter
Codex Page URL
Last Synced
Outstanding Codex Tasks

11  Additional Notes & Open Questions