Data storing with an external web database for e-learning activities in Second Life

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Cristian Moral MartosAlbert Bellonch Llargués

April 2011

Why this project?

Project made incollaboration with Alan Hudson (London Metropolitan University)

Use Second Life as platform for e-learning

Second Life has a great lack incompatible with e-learning: absence of data storing

What we hope to achieve?

Allow to develop e-learnign activities in Second Life by storing data

Ease the management and the access to these data to all the users

What is Second Life?

Virtual 3D world, composed by avatars led by users

Has features of social media and massive multiplayer online game

Second Life is a free client program that has its own policies and economy (Linden Dollar)

Second Life - Avatars

Their appearance is customizable

They can communicate with each others

They can walk, run, sit, fly and teleport

Second Life - Objects

Created by users

Formed from simple structures (Prims) that are linked

Objects are owned by avatars, with configurable permissions

Objects can content scripts written in LSL that allow them to interact with avatars

What can we do in Second Life?

Marketing, advertising and Trade Information means Science projects and disclosure Leisure activities Religious events Diplomatic representation Education activities

What is e-learning?

Groups any form of teaching and learning which is supported by electronic means (CD, DVD, satellite TV…) and specially computers with internet

Self-study

Self-organisation

E-learning – Main features (1)

Use of web browsers to access the information

Protocols of connection between professor and students, that can be separated in time and/or space.

Use of different tools for communications, both asynchronous (forums, mails) and synchronous (chats)

Use of multimedia and digital materials (audio, photos, videos…)

E-learning – Main features (2)

Protocols to store, maintain and manage all the materials in a web server

Flexible in terms of space and time Interactive Supported by tutorials of the professors Combine individual study with

collaborative activities

E-learning vs Traditional teaching

There are differences in terms of:› Organizational model› Learning model› Material› Rhythm› Flexibility› Communication› Resources› Experience

How our project can allow to do e-learning in SL?

Client-Server system

Client collects important data in SL and sends it to server

Server treats received data, store it

Users can access the stroed data through a user web interface

The architecture of our system

Project – Client side Before all, we have to create the

needed infrastructures in Second Life

What is our client for?

Main objectives:1. Register avatars2. Access control to e-learnign rooms3. Presence control in e-learning rooms4. Test of knowledgement of users5. Access to stored data

Register avatars in SL

Access control in SL

Presence Control in SL This process is transparent for the

users Scheme master-slave used

Knowledgement test in SL

Web acces to stored data

What is our server side for?

Project – Server side (1)

Project – Server side (2)

Project – Server side (3)

Project – Server side (4)

Project – Extending the system

Project – Management tools (1)

Project – Management tools (2)

Conclusion