Watch the brief video about entering a Gather space for the first time or read the text below it. When you visit the SVA Concourse in Gather, you will find a welcome message from the Provost and multiple information stations to assist you with navigating the space.
If you run into any challenges using Gather, click here to access their Getting Started Guide or contact the Office of Learning Technologies at olt@sva.edu.
Gather is a video conferencing tool with an integrated virtual environment that lets you interact with objects and engage with other people in a more naturalistic way.
We recommend using Chrome or Firefox on a laptop or desktop computer. While accessing Gather using your mobile device is possible, the features are more limited.
When you first enter a Gather space, your browser may ask you to grant Gather permissions for the camera and microphone. Like in Zoom, this is a necessary step for everyone to be able to see and hear you.
Some spaces are restricted to sva.edu emails or guest lists, so on your first visit, you may have to validate your email with a six-digit code. It will speed up the process if you are already signed in to your SVA email.
The startup screen allows you to set up your camera and microphone, enter your preferred name, and edit your character before joining Gather. Characters are how you will navigate the virtual environment. You can spend a lot of time here customizing your avatar or make some quick choices and join the gathering. Gather will remember your name and character design for each space, and you always have the choice to change it again later.
The first time you join Gather, you will be presented with a brief tutorial on navigating the environment. It’s up to you whether you do the tutorial or not. To skip it, just click the skip tutorial button to the right, and you’ll be taken directly to your destination.
After your visit, you can simply close the browser tab to leave the environment. You’ll be able to return again by following the provided link or signing in at gather.town and selecting it from your previously visited spaces.