AN EVALUTION FRAMEWORK FOR THE SELECTION OF VIRTUAL WORLD TOOLS

In this paper we illustrate the framework which hosts a process of creating decisive factors for the evaluation and of Virtual World VW tools. The decisive factors are categorised according to VW tools' functionalities, characteristics, formats of communications and contents, functionalities and limitations of avatars and technical specifications. The categories of decisive factors are based on our observations and experiences of using VW tools and information available on tool providers' web sites. We tested the decisive factors on six tools: Second Life, ActiveWorlds, Wonderland, Forterra now owned by SAIC and called OLIVE, OpenSim and Venuegen. The results show that our decisive factors and their categories within the framework are applicable in the evaluation process. The purpose of this work is to bridge the gap between expectations of users in VW environments and the ability of VW tools to deliver appropriate experiences.