Why Active Worlds
In teaching method by now we are able to use the web as means of communication in the distance. A lot of schools have got their own sites and various materials referred to several subjects are available from the net. The hypertext is however quite static and only thanks to many efforts of teachers with good computing knowledge it can be made more dynamic and interactive The use of virtual worlds and of the client Active World in particular, guarantees a strong interaction among the web pages, even they are static, and the virtual world. This one can be built, visited and offers a wide choice in chatting to people physically distant but close and visible disguised as their virtual alter-ego (avatar).

The avatars

The avatar is a graphical icon that represents a real person in a cyberspace system. When you enter the system, you can choose from a number of fanciful avatars. Sophisticated 3D avatars even change shape depending on what they are doing (e.g., walking, sitting, etc.).
Active Worlds: the tecnology

The Active Worlds technology consists of a client that can be freely unloaded from the Internet site http://www.activeworlds.com

Through the client each user can link in the net and explore available virtual worlds, chatting with speakers that he/she will meet.From the beginning the Active Worlds technology has been used by teachers, all over the world, to get information. Recently, in reply to the growing. request from the educators, Activeworlds has launched the Active Worlds universe for the teaching– learning needs (AWEDU).
AWEDU is a particular educational community where the Active Worlds technology is usable by schools ,teachers and students for the experimentation in educational, well-planned programmes. Thanks to this community the educators can explore new theories on learning process, test new curricula and discover new cultural models.
How to download the educational universe

You must download the client AWEDU from this internet page http://www.activeworlds.com/ then click on "education" and "download"

You must click on the setup icon of awedu awedu.exe so you can install the client.

Next for launch the client click on the icon on your desktop

To enter the educational universe AWEDU, you must be connected to Internet, then after starting the browser, you will see a screenplay: once the connection is made, the screenplay will disappear and you will see then the welcome windows, give then a nick name and your e-mail address and click OK to enter as a tourist,


The welcome window

or click "citizen" if you have the citizenship, a second window will open in which you can write the name and the password. Then click "OK" and wait thet the browser opens and that is downloaded. The browser has a cache memory; the waiting time for downloading graphics are faster after first use. It can be slow the first time you use the browser and it depends on the type of Internet connection.


The login dialog box

Now you stay into the virtual universe awedu, you must click on the name “ERME” in the frame of the worlds for join the virtual world ERME.


The worlds