Ett 590 - Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds

ETT 590 - Module 5

Agenda Gameplay: Crazy Machines Game Sharing Inspired Teaching and Learning Virtual Worlds: Module 5 Introduction to OpenSim Project Plans

Games and Game Principles in Learning Brainstorm activities that incorporate game

principles and scientific thinking Choose two to describe in more detail

One, non-digital video game experience One, incorporating a digital video game

Present: What is the setting of the activity? What is the goal of the activity? What are the rules/conditions? How will students know when they have succeeded? What game principles have you incorporated? How does your activity encourage systems

level/analytical thinking?

VIRTUAL WORLDS

Intro to Virtual WorldsPersistent spaces made available by networked computers accessible through a graphical interface to provide inhabitants synchronous interactions between individuals and the environment (Bell, 2008; Click 2013, Schroeder, 2008: Ondrejka, 2008).

Short List of Terms Simulator (Sim) – server application Grid – multiple servers Region – 256 x 256 meters of virtual space Viewer – Browser Avatar – Player embodiment Persistent – stuff is still there when you log back on

Virtual Worlds Second Life Opensimulator Minecraft Active Worlds Kaneva Metaplace realXtend

What is Second Life?

Linden Labs Launched Second Life in 2002 Described as a 3-D virtual world entirely built by

its residents Residents retain the IP rights to their digital

creations 15,753,363 people from over 100 countries 30,436 regions (256x256 meters each) Virtual land is 15 times the size of San Francisco

How do I get a Second Life?

Register for an account (free) Select an avatar and screen name Download the Second Life browser Go through orientation (take your time there) Explore and meet people Attend in-world workshops

What technology is needed?

Broadband connectivity Supported video card Administrative control over your computer to install

software, or… Flash drive (see, Second Life in your pocket) Optional – headphones with built in microphone, for

audio chat

Education in Second Life

Harvard UniversityIdaho State UniversityUnited States MilitaryNorthern Illinois UniversityOhio State UniversityUniversity of Central

Missouri

Pennsylvania State UniversityStanford UniversityTexas State UniversityUniversity of Colorado at DenverVirginia TechLeeds College of Art and Design

http://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

Glidden Campus NIU entered Second Life in summer of 2005 Replica of our landmark buildings Collaboration with other universities

All objects start as primitive objects Your avatar does the building. This picture demonstrates Ali rezzing a primitive

object (a box). Other basic objects include a prism, sphere,

cylinder, torus, tube, ring, and sculpted

Laying the floors of Altgeld Hall You quickly realize you need to do things in a

certain order because of the camera limitations. For example I had to build the staircase first. This building is built to scale, but because your

camera is above your avatar things appear smaller.

Building the walls of Altgeld Hall Measuring sticks were used to offset objects Prim heavy - contains over 8000 primitive objects Stone texture – photographs of real world building

Altgeld Hall in Second Life

Altgeld Hall in Real Life

Why teach in Second Life?

Good question and initially heavily debated.• Anytime, anyplace access• Social presence due to avatar embodiment and

interactions• Ability to create your own learning environment• Ability to create a custom avatar

NIU - The Art Café Learning space for art education majors Gallery shows for a global audience Class meetings Doctoral research

NIU - ETRA Online Classroom Classroom community Group work First time we used 2-way audio in-world

NIU - Time Arts Senior projects Live 2-way presentation Local and global attendance

Illinois Crisis Intervention

Online class in Homeland Security certificate Debriefing experience for students

“I am moving to Canada!”

Virtual World of Your Own Defined as a 3D application server There is no LL code in OpenSimulator

“We didn’t reverse engineer the browser, but the communication that goes between the browser and Second Life”

“If you break it, you get to keep both pieces”

Initial Impetus No age restrictions Research control Control over upgrades Programmable avatar experience Develop locally, implement on server Cost (scalability)

The One Room School House Research opportunities Basically free for student researchers Accessible by kids under the age of 13 Protected, private, safe

Microfinance Simulation Package and sell Server-side coding Privacy/containment Consequences

Server-Side Programming Content Management Tool Instructor Dashboard User Administration

Games Camp Basically free persistent space Available and safe for kids under 13 Easy to learn tool set

Feature Comparison

Feature Second Life OpenSim

Audio Yes Yes – Freeswitch module

Groups Yes Not out of the box

Off-line Communication

Yes Not out of the box

Currency Yes Not out of the box

Scripting Yes Yes, but slightly different

Upload Textures Yes Yes - free

Terraform Yes Yes

Grid Mode Yes Yes

Building Yes Yes with some glitches

Comparing SL and OpenSim

Pretty Solid Avatars Land, sky, water Inventory Building

Terraforming Textures Scripting

Yes, But.. Orientation Off-line communication Audio Profiles Search

Not so much…

Currency In-world market

Pros and Cons of Opensim

Pros Cons

Control over server updates Less stable than SL

No age restrictions Need for technical support

Flexibility Lack of some nice SL functions

Control over cost Scattered documentation

Modular Beta application

Opensource Absence of Pre-made Inventory

Scalability Lack of market

Control over user access Lack of large community

Archiving No one in charge of development

Some Pros & Cons of OpenSim

Quickly Experience OpenSim Access one of the public OpenSim grids

(OSGrid, Reaction Grid…) Run a stand-alone sim on y0ur own

workstation or laptop

Viewers Imprudence Hippo Meerkat Emerald Viewer (Mac)

NIU in OpenSim

NIU Digital Convergence Lab

Presents

Highly Interactive Virtual Environments (HIVE) http://hive.niu.edu

Standalone OpenSimulator Free Local creation for export through .oar files Ultimate control over research data

An OpenSim on your own server Relatively Inexpensive Allows others to

connect Maintenance and

Support

Demands on the system 10-20 users 4 regions

Virtualization

Hosted Server

Standard $50/mo Maintenance and

support

OpenSim Specific $75-795/mo Virtualized-dedicated Bandwidth Support

Installing an OpenSim Server Download OpenSim and helper applications

Install OpenSim application Launch server application Access from viewer (http://127.0.0.1:9000) Configure Regions.ini file to add more regions

The Future Interoperability between virtual worlds Divergence from Second Life More secondary providers (i.e. Reaction Grid) Distribution of content – Hypergrid - Diva

Canto (the inventor of the Hypergrid protocol)

Resources

Aline Click (Ali Andrews) aclick@niu.edu

Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/Aliandrews

NIU HIVE http://hive.niu.edu Login URI http://hive.niu.edu:8002/

Imprudence Viewer http://wiki.kokuaviewer.org

SLED Educators Listserv https://lists.secondlife.com/

Opensim http://opensimulator.org