The use of computers has grown immensely in the last decades and the possibility to teach through them has grown as well. Various computer applications, games and forums have been created as tools of teaching and learning. This research project contains a summary of various works created within the E-learning area and their results. The virtual world Second Life is tested and some of the research in the literature review will be visited and examined. The research focuses on the feasibility to create scenarios for nursing students to practice patient care and handling, in addition to collaborative qualities that online virtual worlds offer. The conclusion taken from this research is that the possibilities far outweigh the limitations and that learning through virtual worlds should be further explored and developed.

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recently, there has been significant research focus on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Massively Multi-user Virtual Environments (MMVEs). A number of architectures have been presented in the literature to implement the P2P approach. One aspect that has not received sufficient attention in these architectures is state management and state persistency in P2P MMVEs. This work presents and simulates a novel state management and persistency architecture, called Pithos. In order to design the architecture, an investigation is performed into state consistency architectures, into which the state management and persistency architecture should fit. A novel generic state consistency model is proposed that encapsulated all state consistency models reviewed. The requirements for state management and persistency architectures, identified during the review of state consistency models, are used to review state management and persistency architectures currently receiving research attention. Identifying some deficiencies present in current designs, such as lack of fairness, responsiveness and scalability, a novel state management and persistency architecture, called Pithos, is designed. Pithos is a reliable, responsive, secure, fair and scalable distributed storage system, ideally suited to P2P MMVEs. Pithos is implemented in Oversim, which runs on the Omnet++ network simulator. An evaluation of Pithos is performed to verify that it satisfies the identified requirements. It is found that the reliability of Pithos depends heavily on object lifetimes. If an object lives longer on average, retrieval requests are more reliable. An investigation is performed into the factors influencing object lifetime. A novel Markov chain model is proposed which allows for the prediction of objects lifetimes in any finite sized network, for a given amount of redundancy, node lifetime characteristics and object repair rate. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onlangs is daar ’n beduidende navorsingsfokus op Eweknie Massiewe Multi-gebruiker Virtuele Omgewings (MMVOs). ’n Aantal argitekture is in die literatuur beskikbaar wat die eweknie benadering voorstel. Een aspek wat nie voldoende aandag ontvang in hierdie argitekture nie is toestandsbestuur en toestandsvolharding in eweknie MMVOs. Hierdie werk ontwerp en simuleer ’n nuwe toestandsbestuur- en toestandsvolhardingargitektuur genaamd Pithos. Ten einde die argitektuur te ontwerp is ’n ondersoek uitgevoer in toestandskonsekwentheidargitekture, waarin die toestandsbestuur- en toestandsvolhardingargitektuur moet pas. ’n Nuwe generiese toestandskonsekwentheidargitektuur word voorgestel wat alle hersiene toestandskonsekwentheid argitekture vervat. Die vereistes vir die toestandsbestuur- en toestandsvolhardingargitekture, geidentifiseer tydens die hersiening van die toestandskonsekwentheidargitekture, word gebruik om toestandsbestuuren toestandsvolhardingargitekture te hersien wat tans navorsingsaandag geniet. Identifisering van sekere leemtes teenwoordig in die huidige ontwerpe, soos ’n gebrek aan regverdigheid, responsiwiteit en skaleerbaarheid, lei tot die ontwerp van ’n nuwe toestandsbestuur- en toestandsvolhardingargitektuur wat Pithos genoem word. Pithos is ’n betroubare, responsiewe, veilige, regverdige en skaleerbare verspreide stoorstelsel, ideaal geskik is vir eweknie MMVOs. Pithos word geïmplementeer in Oversim, wat loop op die Omnet++ netwerk simulator. ’n Evaluering van Pithos word uitgevoer om te verifieer dat dit voldoen aan die geïdentifiseerde behoeftes. Daar is gevind dat die betroubaarheid van Pithos afhang van die objek leeftyd. As ’n objek gemiddeld langer leef, dan is herwinning versoeke meer betroubaar. ’n Ondersoek word uitgevoer na die faktore wat die objek leeftyd beïnvloed. ’n Nuwe Markov ketting model word voorgestel wat voorsiening maak vir die voorspelling van objek leeftye in eindige grootte netwerke, vir gegewe hoeveelhede van oortolligheid, nodus leeftyd eienskappe en objek herstelkoers.

Η παρούσα διατριβή αναδεικνύει τα πλεονεκτήματα της διδακτικής στρατηγικής της Μάθησης Βασισμένης σε Προβλήματα (ΜΒΠ), αλλά και των περιορισμών που υπάρχουν στην εφαρμογή της στην εργαστηριακή εκπαίδευση. Τα Εικονικά Περιβάλλοντα Πολλών Χρηστών (Multi-User Virtual Environments - MUVEs) όπως το Second Life (SL) είναι τρισδιάστατα συνεργατικά εικονικά περιβάλλοντα τα οποία θα μπορούσαν να αποτελέσουν συμπληρωματικούς ή και εναλλακτικούς κόσμους για την υλοποίηση εργαστηριακών δραστηριοτήτων ΜΒΠ με χαμηλό κόστος, υψηλή διαθεσιμότητα και ασφάλεια. Ο στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής ήταν ο σχεδιασμός και η εμπειρική αξιολόγηση μιας απλής δραστηριότητας ΜΒΠ τόσο στον εικονικό όσο και στον πραγματικό κόσμο. Η εμπειρική αξιολόγηση περιλάμβανε μια περιγραφική (Ν=30) και μια ημι-πειραματική έρευνα (Ν=150) με φοιτητές Πανεπιστημίου. Τα αποτελέσματα υποδεικνύουν ότι δεν υπάρχουν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ των περιβαλλόντων στο μαθησιακό αποτέλεσμα, την ευχρηστία, την ικανοποίηση από τη συνεργασία και την ευχαρίστηση από την εμπειρία. Ωστόσο υπάρχουν ενδείξεις ότι το SL εκλαμβάνεται ως πιο ευχάριστο και άτυπο περιβάλλον μάθησης. Η ικανοποίηση συσχετίζεται θετικά με την αίσθηση παρουσίας. Η δραστηριότητα διαρκεί περισσότερο στο SL λόγω των διαδικασιών χειρισμού και της μειωμένης μη λεκτικής επικοινωνίας, παράγοντες που φαίνεται να «επιβάλλουν» ένα πιο κατακερματισμένο μοτίβο ομιλίας. / This dissertation identifies the advantages of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) instructional strategy and acknowledges the limitations of classic laboratory education to support it. Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) like Second Life (SL) are 3D collaborative virtual environments that could act as complementary or alternative worlds for the implementation of PBL activities offering low cost, safe and always available environments. The aim of this dissertation was to design and empirically evaluate a simple PBL activity in both the real and virtual worlds, by carrying out a descriptive study (N=30) and a quasi-experimental study (N=150) with University students. The results showed that the MUVE provided similar learning outcomes, engagement, usability and satisfaction to the real world condition. SL is perceived as more pleasurable and informal learning environment than reality. Satisfaction is positively correlated with presence. The PBL activity tends to last longer in SL that in real world, mainly due to control procedures and reduced nonverbal communication, that also “impose” a more fragmented pattern of verbal communication.

The management of online learning environments so that they are effective and efficient presents a significant challenge for institutions and lecturers due to the complexity of requirements in the learning and teaching domain. The use of 3D Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) for education introduces a novel set of management challenges. MUVEs were designed to cater for entertainment and commercial needs and as such do not intrinsically support managed learning. When MUVEs are used for educational purposes, forming 3D Multi User Learning Environments (MULEs), user support for learning management becomes an important factor. This thesis highlights the importance of managed learning in MULEs. It proposes a coordinated approach which accommodates the existing education institutional infrastructure. The research has focused on two very widely used and closely compatible MUVEs, Second Life (SL) and OpenSim. The thesis presents system and user studies that have been carried out on these selected MUVEs. The findings reveal the challenges that academics and students can experience if they do not have sufficient knowhow to manage learning activities in SL/OpenSim. User guidance and training tools were then developed for supporting learning management strategies in the context of SL/OpenSim and demonstrated in exemplar use-case scenarios. The user support models and tools which were developed have been extensively evaluated for their usability and educational value using diverse participant groups. The results validate the efficacy of these contributions, defending the research thesis. These contributions can be used in future research on managing MUVE supported education.