The main aim of the project is to build an innovative support system for collaborative learning over distance through distributed and shared virtual environments. INVITE will be a platform for synchronous tele-learning providing users with functionality which supports social learning process through distributed virtual environments plus all those features, which are needed to create a collaborative learning experience. The INVITE environment will be an integrated system, which is able to educate its users in carrying out tasks within the environment in an efficient and intelligent way, with the use of intelligent agents. The INVITE environment will be designed as an open system, which can be interfaced with standard instructional management systems and data-representation schemes.