1. 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

2. 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, Venice 9 December 2009

3. 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/http://www.ict-virtuallife.eu/ 7 small enterprises, 2 universities TrustWVs 2009, Venice 9 December 2009

4. 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, Venice 9 December 2009

5. 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

6. 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

7. VirtualLife Multiverse for users Download the Multiverse world browser Login to any world Move and chat 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice www.multiverse.net

8. VirtualLife Multiverse for developer Install alike http server Content generation external tools for each content type 3D modelling tool for object models, graphical editor for textures loading using GUI Interactivity Python 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice www.multiverse.net

9. VirtualLife OpenSim, OpenSimulator Based on Second Life technologies Content Regions and grids 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

10. VirtualLife OpenSim, OpenSimulator Users install 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

11. VirtualLife OpenSim, OpenSimulator Interactivity LSL scripts C# any.NET language Scripted react to avatar states 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

12. VirtualLife Metaplace Based on Flash technology can be placed on Metaplace hosting server or any HTTP server 2.5D world 2D images shown from the perspective 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

13. VirtualLife Metaplace Each user is a developer Move, chat Content creation inside the world internal object library Multimedia objects imported Interactivity Metascript 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

14. VirtualLife Metaplace Each user is a developer Move, chat Interactivity Metascript 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

15. VirtualLife Metaplace Content creation inside the world internal object library any picture from user’s computer Multimedia objects imported 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

16. VirtualLife Comparison 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice Only OpenSim diminishes installation efforts Simplest content generation Metaplace Interactivity Scripting

17. VirtualLife VirtualLife design decisions Full control on developed virtual world Automatic installer for developers and users 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

18. VirtualLife VirtualLife design Content creation inside the world import from external tools Assets are stored on user’s computer Web board 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

19. VirtualLife Communication with avatars text chat voice chat is planned Interactivity library of interactive objects powerful script language 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

20. VirtualLife 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice Virtual pointer Web generator

21. 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

22. VirtualLife Conclusions VirtualLife supplements learning with on-line interactions simplified installation content creation supported by rich interactive object library web generator facilitates creation of searchable learning materials advanced features decrease the need of face-to-face activities 9 December 2009 TrustWVs 2009, Venice

23. 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