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Collaborative
Internet Tools
By Frank Odasz
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the full article (PDF, 358 KB, PDF
Instructions)
Internet-based tools, such as e-mail, mailing
lists, and videoconferencing, can help teachers create
collaborative
online projects with students.
The
core challenge the Internet presents to educators is how
best to
bring learners together, online, in a collaborative,
inquiry-based
learning context. Several collaborative Internet tools are
increasing
the quantity—and perhaps the quality—of human
communication.
At
the core of most Internet innovations is a collaborative
relationship.
If every time you hear the word information you
substitute
the word relationships, you may be surprised at the
clarity
it provides. Instead of the Information Age, we have the
“Relationships
Age.” Information managers become “relationship
managers.”
Teachers
can watch for opportunities to facilitate online
relationships with
the understanding that development of online social skills
closely
parallels students’ growth in traditional social
skills. Project-based
learning activities provide the context for purposeful,
curriculum-based
interaction on multiple levels: student-to-student,
student-to-remote
expert, and student-to-teacher. As we all gain more
experience with
the many collaborative tools available on the Internet,
our understanding
about how to use them effectively will grow. Because
information
changes rapidly in this modern age, using collaboration
with peers
to stay current is becoming an essential survival skill.
As Will
Rogers said, “We’re all ignorant, only on
different topics.”
If we learn to share what we know, in return for access to
what
others know, we’ll all have access to all our joint
knowledge.
Otherwise, we’ll be limited to what each of us has
acquired
independently.
Online relationships can be very different than face-to-face relationships.
They can be more intimate and articulate because messages can be authored without
time pressures. Written interaction is fundamentally more mind-to-mind than
face-to-face interaction, which is typically more transient and trivial. The
classroom often does not allow private communication between teacher and student,
whereas many teachers have been pleasantly surprised by the in-depth relationships
they have developed with many students through online interaction. Interactive
reading and writing is a fundamentally new communication medium that focuses
on the written word in a dynamic form with features of oral speech yet with
the editability and permanence of the written word. Teachers and students are
finding incredible new levels of communication possible, particularly with those
students comfortable with written expression. Students find online interaction
highly motivating. For example, at-risk students with a history of disinterest
in reading and writing will teach themselves typing and spelling when given
the opportunity to interact online with peers. (See “Empowering
Students Through the Internet”.)
Top
10 Tools
Descriptions of each tool include educational resources. Each section gives
specific search terms to yield additional tutorials and sample sites to explore.
Find links to these sites in the online
supplement. Ask your students to help you explore them and to imagine
original uses for each!
- E-mail
- Internet
Mailing Lists
- Newsgroups
- Bulletin
Board Systems (BBSs)
- Web
Conferencing
- Internet
Relay Chat (IRC)
- MUDs/MOOs
- IPhone
and Internet Radio
- Desktop
Videoconferencing
- VRML
Chat Systems
E-mail
and mailing lists are the most commonly used, but the
remaining
tools have unique benefits for education and are enjoying
increased
use as more educators understand what they offer.
General Equipment, Software, and Access
Requirements.
All
of these tools require an Internet browser and Internet
account.
E-mail, mailing lists, and news-groups can be read
offline. An offline
browser, such as Web Buddy or WebWhacker, can be used to
capture
message pages for viewing without connecting to the
Internet. One
classroom account can allow for monitoring interaction.
Courses
on using offline browsers are available at http://bluesquirrel.com.
IPhone, videoconferencing, and VRML chat systems require
as current
a browser as possible with appropriate software and
plug-ins and
are bandwidth-sensitive applications with the low end
starting at
around 28,800 baud. Videocard, microphone, and
speakers—depending
on the tool—are often required, but these are now
built in
to most newer computers. Fast computers with modern audio
or video
enhancements are recommended.
E-mail
E-mail
is the most commonly used collaborative tool, particularly
for private
one-to-one communications. It can be a useful tool for
collaborative
and project-based learning activities. But it is not
always used.
Some schools can offer students their own e-mail accounts
but decline
to for fear of liability from its misuse. Does it make
sense for
school to be the only place prohibiting this motivational
tool for
encouraging the development of reading, writing, and
collaboration
skills? Students know that many Web sites offer free
e-mail accounts
to anyone with Internet access. Educators should
understand that
they cannot prohibit students from using e-mail
capabilities; rather,
they should focus on modeling appropriate uses. Students
should
be taught “netiquette” to collaborate politely
and should
earn the right to e-mail accounts by demonstrating the
maturity
to use them responsibly.
Resources. For
additional information, search using the keywords
e-mail+tutorial*.
Netiquette Guidelines.
- America Online: www.aol.com/nethelp/home.html
- National Supercomputer Center’s An Incomplete Guide to
the Internet Especially for K–12 Teachers and Students: www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Edu/ICG
- Netiquette Home Page: www.fau.edu/netiquette/netiquette.html.
Internet
Mailing Lists
Often
called listservs, mailing lists represent the most common
form of
one-to-many communications. These topic-oriented
discussion groups
work by sending messages to all subscribers. Some are
moderated,
such that only messages fitting the group’s
requirements are
sent to subscribers. But many are not moderated, meaning
that frivolous
messages may get through. Their big advantage is that once
you’ve
joined the list, messages appear conveniently in your
e-mail inbox.
You don’t have to solicit them every time. Discussion
quality
is determined by the experience and personalities of the
participants
and the list moderator’s ability to steer
discussions. Some
lists make archived messages accessible to anyone. Most
lists, however,
do not store past messages, leaving no option for those
interested
in reading past discussions.
Educators
might consider using lists to lead discussions on
curriculum topics
with the understanding that students’ ability to use
this collaborative
tool will be fundamentally important for group work in a
distributed
knowledge economy. Teachers have found mailing lists to be
a time-effective
way to stay current in their content areas, benefiting
from the
resource postings of others on an ongoing basis.
Resources. For
additional information search for the keywords:
listservs+
tutorial*.
Newsgroups
These
offer site-based one-to-many, small-group, and public
interaction.
Newsgroups can be read with any browser. They require the
extra
step of using the newsreader feature that is part of most
browsers
to access the message archives. Newsgroups are searchable
but often
have little educational content. Unfortunately, because
anyone can
participate, many discussions are reduced to the lowest
levels of
spiteful interaction. Local newsgroups can be an effective
form
of public conferencing when moderated for appropriate
content. Educators
can use newsgroups to host student discussions on
curriculum topics.
Private newsgroups, accessible only by your students, have
the advantage
of leaving all messages in an archive listing, viewable at
any time,
whereas Internet mailing list messages exist only in
individual
mail boxes and may easily be deleted or lost.
Resources. For
additional information, search using the keywords
newsgroups+
tutorial*.
Bulletin
Board Systems (BBSs)
BBSs
allow site-based one-to-one, one-to-many, or public
interaction.
BBSs preceded widespread access to the Internet and
provided text-based
public interaction inexpensively by sharing messages
internationally
through local services. Today, most BBSs are more
accurately a form
of Web conferencing, requiring users to go to the BBS Web
site to
read messages. BBSs represent a very viable format for
public interaction.
Features vary. The Discovery Channel offers student BBSs
related
to educational TV programs, providing an opportunity to
exchange
ideas with other students. Often, celebrities and top
scientists
are invited to interact with students for a limited period
on these
BBSs.
Resources. For
additional information search using the keywords:
BBS+tutorial*.
Web
Conferencing (or Graphical Collaborative
Environments)
Web
conferencing is the generic term for public interaction in
Web-based
environments. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of different free
and commercial
programs exist. Features vary, with innovative new
capabilities
appearing regularly. Some systems function as both
Internet mailing
lists and as Web-based conferencing systems. Educators can
create
private Web conferences at www.ecircles.com.
This allows total control of student discussions. Chat,
file sharing,
photo sharing, and even music file sharing are all
integrated in
this one easy-to-use collaborative system.
Resources. For
additional information, search for
web+conferencing+tutorial*.
Internet
Relay Chat (IRC)
IRC
allows for “live” public one-to-one and
one-to-many interactions.
IRC typically requires installation of a chat client
software program.
Live text interaction occurs in real time, which is
limiting for
those with busy schedules but motivating and fun for those
eager
to communicate with interesting people online. Most chat
systems
allow aliases. Discussions are often trivial or sexually
oriented,
which is why many schools prohibit student access to chat
systems.
But thoughtful use of chat systems can yield very real
educational
benefits. For example, chat can allow students to read and
share
more information than a regular classroom discussion. We
speak at
approximately 120 words per minute, and only one person
can effectively
speak at a time. And, classroom discussions are limited to
participants
in the class and onsite visitors. If students chat with
other groups
of students in remote locations, they can have access to
information
and opinions outside their classroom. And, because more
than one
student can type at a time and we read 400–1,000
words per
minute, they can be exposed to more information in the
same amount
of time. Finally, transcripts of the chat sessions can be
printed
so that students don’t have to scramble to take
notes. (See
“Chatting It Up Online,” L&L vol. 27
no. 1,
for more on educational chats.)
Equipment, Software, and Access
Requirements. Any
browser and/or e-mail program with any type of Internet
account
will work on those systems not requiring a software client
program
to be downloaded and installed on your computer before
use. Chat
will work fine with lower-end equipment and bandwidth.
Resources. Search
for IRC+tutorial*, IRC, or
Internet+Relay+Chat.
MUDs/MOOs
These
are similar to IRC but have enhanced control and
object-oriented
features. A MUD (multiuser dungeon, dimension, or domain)
is a computer
program that users can join and explore. MUDs and MOOs
(object-oriented
MUDs) have been used in educational settings and evolved
from a
game called Dungeons & Dragons®.
Original systems
use only text but allow users control over various
features. Students
love to have such control, which also teaches
computer-programming
concepts. Graphical systems exist but interaction is still
text-based.
Educators
will have to learn a fair bit before they are able to
evaluate or
use these systems. Elegant sample applications exist, and
even very
young students find them wonderfully motivating. Though
worth exploring,
these might be time consuming before benefits are
realized. Often
MUDs and MOOs require a special server and software.
Classroom applications
can include online role playing, similar to
improvisational theater,
and group interaction around a story line. Interactive
fiction allows
the reader to make decisions as part of the process of
reading the
story, affecting the direction of the story.
Viewing
existing applications will demonstrate that you’re
limited
only by your imagination as to how these flexible systems
can be
used creatively.
Equipment, Software, and Access
Requirements. An
offline browser might be too restrictive for this
environment. A
dedicated server with specific software may be required
depending
on your intended use.
Resources. For
additional information, search for MUDs+tutorials
or MOOs+tutorials.
IPhone
and Internet Radio
This tool includes Internet telephone and audioconferencing for one-to-one
or one-to-many communication and Internet radio capabilities. It’s a newer
technology that allows anyone to host his or her own free international Internet
radio station in real time. IPhone is a software program that allows free two-way
phone conversations on the Internet. At www.real.com
you can download a program that gives clickable access to more than 1,000 radio
stations. Classroom activities could include broadcasting a student-created
radio program or sampling radio programs from all over the world. A classroom
exchange of student-created radio programs would ensure an audience for both
sides! Go to broadcast.com, which showcases new trends in grassroots
radio and video broadcasting.
Resources. For additional information search for
IPhone or Internet+radio.
Desktop
Videoconferencing
This
tool allows “live” one-to-one or one-to-several
video
interactions. Using a color video camera, free software, a
computer,
and an Internet connection, you can have color two-way
video with
audio of a quality dependent on your bandwidth. Desktop
video depends
on the speed of your Internet access. Motion may be jerky,
causing
distracting facial distortions as the video frame freezes
intermittently,
and the audio may be raspy and hard to hear. For
instructional applications,
some students may find it hard to pay attention to a
talking head
the size of a munchkin for long periods. It’s fun to
play with,
questionable in its readiness for teaching online, but
well worth
getting your students involved. The inexpensive camera can
be used
for many creative classroom activities, such as creating
student
videos and/or still pictures. Automatic updates of a video
picture
on school Web pages, every 15 seconds or so, is a popular
feature.
(Read more about videoconferencing in “But Where Is
the Teacher?”
L&L vol. 27 no. 2.)
Resources. For
additional information, search for
desktop+video+conferencing+
tutorial*.
VRML
Chat Systems
Use
3-D animated characters for one-to-one “live”
chat. How
does using your mouse to navigate your blue bear avatar
through
rooms and hallways and using text chat to schmooze the
butterfly
and other avatars translate to good education you might
ask? Depends
on your vision. The 3-D avatars can help excite students
and motivate
them to read and write. Interaction with people from
different countries
is commonplace, and the educator can set the stage for
curriculum-oriented
discussions such as discussing WWII with survivors of
concentration
camps or democracy with Chinese college students.
Discussions may
even be in a foreign language, strengthening
students’ skills
in that language.
Future
systems will have audio discussions and lifelike video
representations
of people. Consider “live theater” as an
eventual application.
Equipment, Software, and Access
Requirements. Typically,
this tool requires downloading and installing a client
software
program on your computer.
Resources. For additional information, search for
VRML+tutorial*.
Conclusion
As
a good educator, you should know that the 10 collaborative
tools
of the Internet and other Internet educational
possibilities are
less about the technology and more about the process by
which we
as individual human beings learn to use these new tools to
help
others learn. Though we may not have all the time, skills,
and equipment
we’d like, we generally have greater opportunities
available
to us than we’ve yet explored. As an individual,
self-directed
learner and educator, you have more potential for creating
exciting
collaborative activities than those who lived at any other
time
in history. Your greatest opportunity is to begin taking
action,
through hands-on exploration, to grow your vision of
what’s
now possible. We’re limited only by our collective
imaginations!
Resources
Web
Buddy is available from many educational software
resellers. Go
to www.dataviz.com/products/webbuddy/wb_home.html
for more information.
WebWhacker
is available directly from Blue Squirrel Software. Find
out more
at www.bluesquirrel.com/products/whacker/whacker.html.
For
more on emerging lifestyles for educators see “Lone
Eagles
Learn to Teach from Any Beach” at http://lone-eagles.com/articles/eagle.htm.
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Frank Odasz (frank@lone-eagles.com)
educated teachers at Western Montana College of the
University
of Montana (Dillon) for 13 years and directed the
Big Sky
Telegraph network, which offered online courses to
rural teachers
from 1988 to 1998. Now president of Lone Eagle
Consulting,
Frank is teaching online courses to those who aspire
to become
lone eagles through instructional entrepreneurship.
He has
delivered Internet workshops to Native Alaskan
teachers and
students in 11 Alaskan villages and to IDEA
(Interior Distance
Education for Alaska,
www.galenaalaska.org)
home schoolers in six major Alaskan cities. All
Frank’s
resources, courses, articles, and services are
accessible
at http://lone-eagles.com
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Copyright © 1999, ISTE (International
Society for Technology in Education).
All rights reserved.
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