VirtualLife

TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife Seventh Framework Programme

ICT – NETWORKED MEDIA

A Comparison of Three Virtual World Platforms for the Purposes of Learning Support in VirtualLife

Kristina LAPIN, assoc. prof.Vilnius University, Lithuania

VirtualLife

Outline

Project description

Lecturer needs supplementing face-to-face education

Overview 3D virtual worldsTitle Level one

Multiverse

Opensim

MetaplaceLevel two

VirtualLife design decisions

Conclusions

TrustWVs 2009, Venice9 December 2009

VirtualLife

Project description

secure and trusted communication,

virtual legal system,

dispute resolution mechanism,

user reputation management system,

a peer-to-peer network communication architecture

FP7 ICT project,

2008-2010, http://www.ict-virtuallife.eu/

7 small enterprises, 2 universities

TrustWVs 2009, Venice9 December 2009

VirtualLife

Educational needs

Students

like user various technologies

Web 2.0 participants

MMORPG players

use and contribute to open source software

Needs

searchable learning materials

TrustWVs 2009, Venice9 December 2009

VirtualLife

Existing platforms

Majority of existing platforms provide free registration

but charge the content creation.

Placed on server providers

“supplier has the right at any time for any reason or no reason to suspend or terminate your account”

Second Life, Active Worlds Educational Universe, The Crocket project, etc.

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Analysis

Virtual worlds

Multiverse – 3D

OpenSim – 3D

Metaplace – 2.5D

Criteria

installation efforts,

allowed actions,

content development,

import of content from outside tools,

creation of interactive learning objects

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Multiverse for users

Download the Multiverse world browser

Login to any world

Move and chat

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venicewww.multiverse.net

VirtualLife

Multiverse for developer

Install alike http server

Content generationexternal tools for each content type

3D modelling tool for object models,

graphical editor for textures

loading

using GUI

InteractivityPython

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

www.multiverse.net

VirtualLife

OpenSim, OpenSimulator

Based on Second Life technologies

ContentRegions and grids

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

OpenSim, OpenSimulator

Usersinstall Second Life viewer

move, fly

communicate

text chat and gestures

create objects

inside the world

from geometrical primitives

using GUI

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

OpenSim, OpenSimulator

InteractivityLSL scripts

C#

any .NET language

Scripted react to avatar states

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Metaplace

Based on Flash technology

can be placed on Metaplace hosting server or

any HTTP server

2.5D world2D images shown from the perspective

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Metaplace

Each user is a developer

Move, chat

Content creationinside the world

internal object library

Multimedia objectsimported

InteractivityMetascript

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Metaplace

Each user is a developer

Move, chat

InteractivityMetascript

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Metaplace

Content creationinside the world

internal object library

any picture from user’s computer

Multimedia objectsimported

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Comparison

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

Only OpenSim diminishes installation efforts

Simplest content generation

Metaplace

Interactivity

Scripting

VirtualLife

VirtualLife design decisions

Full control on developed virtual world

Automatic installerfor developers and users

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

VirtualLife design

Content creationinside the world

import from external tools

Assets are stored on user’s computer

Web board

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

VirtualLife

Communication with avatars

text chat

voice chat is planned

Interactivitylibrary of interactive objects

powerful script language

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

VirtualLife

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

Virtual pointer

Web generator

VirtualLife

Conclusions

Current virtual worlds

difficult to adopt for educational needs

Creation of interactive objects

time-consuming

requires high programming competence

Tutor concentrated on tool instead on didactics

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

Conclusions

VirtualLife

supplements learning with on-line interactions

simplified installation

content creationsupported by rich interactive object library

web generator facilitates creation of searchable learning materials

advanced featuresdecrease the need of face-to-face activities

9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

VirtualLife

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Kristina Lapin, Vilnius University

kristina.lapin@mif.vu.lt

TrustWVs 2009, Venice

A Comparison of Three Virtual World Platforms for the Purposes of Learning

Support in VirtualLife

9 December 2009