June
2008
Digital Classroom!0
I love the program explained in the article “The Virtual School: An integrated collaborative environment for the classroom” (2000). The concept of having a built-in chat system akin to AIM sounds way more convenient than trying to ping-pong messages between people via e-mail. Indeed, many of my discussions for group assessments this semester have taken place in online chats like MSN, AIM, etc. I really like the idea that students can gather together and talk about their projects using the internet’s advantage of quick communication.
Look at the program they made here:
Source: The article
The experiment was not without its flaws, though. Apparently there were not enough computers for the students to be able to use the program in the first place (And if they did get access to it, they were limited to 30-40 minutes), which is why I would find this program more suitable for use at home. Obviously if I were at school already, I would rather physically talk to my team mate. Nothing beats face-to-face communication.
At home, the concept would be amazing, though. Imagine a child being sick and not attending school, but still being able to help with the group project as they group chat with their partners!
