Module 10: Synchronous and Asynchronous Telecollaboration

Module 10: Synchronous and Asynchronous Telecollaboration
and Virtual Field Trips

Readings

Internet Literacy, Chapter 9
Harris, J. (1998). Curriculum-Based Telecollaboration: Using Activity Structures to Design Student Projects. Leading and Learning with Technology, 26(3), 6-15. [Online.] http://www.iste.org/L&L/archive/vol26/no1/feature/index.html
Rogers, Al, Andres, Yvonne, Jacks, Mary and Clauset,Tom. (1990) Telecommunications In The Classroom: Keys to Successful Telecomputing. The Computing Teacher, 17(8), 25-28. [Online.] Available http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/Guidelines/RAJC.html
Levin, James A. Organizing educational network interactions: Steps towards a theory of network-based learning. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco CA, April 1995. [Online.] http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/guidelines/Levin-AERA-18Ap95.html
Harris, J. (2000). Taboo Topic No Longer: Why Telecollaborative Projects Sometimes Fail. Leading and Learning with Technology, 27(5), 58-61.
Stevenson, Stephanie. (2001) Discover and Create Your Own Field Trips. Multimedia Schools. 8(4). [Online.] http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/stevenson.htm
Branzburg, Jeffrey. (2001) MUVE, MUD, MOO, MUSE - What? Technology & Learning. 21(6) [Online.] http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/012001/inservice.html
Online Communities:Networks that nurture long-distance relationships and local ties [Online.]
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Communities_Report.pdf

Online Projects

One of the big benefits of the Internet is the way it expands the confines of the classroom. Many projects are conducted using the Internet as a communications medium. We took a quick look at telecollaborative projects when we talked about listservs and e-mail, but now you'll want to think about how these can be woven into your curriculum projects. Several of the readings for this module discuss how telecommunications helps to develop different types of relationships and communities. Hopefully, you are already experiencing some of this through the communications for this class.

Telecollaborative projects can be conducted either asynchronously or synchronously. That is, each class can put their material on the net on their own schedule or both groups can be online at the same time. These can be conducted with a wide range of tools from simple e-mail to real-time audio/video/collaboration tools.

The other type of project you'll be looking at this week are Virtual Field Trips that you can find on line or create for yourself.

Asynchronous Projects

Judi Harris has been categorizing and tracing these projects since 1995. Take this time to revisit the article we read earlier in this class. Then read the articles by Rogers, et al. and Levin that explain what goes into designing such a project. Rogers' article goes back to the earliest days of using the Internet (and other networks) for classroom projects, but many of the things that were true then are equally true now.

The best way to learn about these projects is to cull through the extensive offerings of projects that are now available. Return to Judi Harris' Virtual Architecture site and follow the links in Chapter 4: In the Bathroom: Designing and Directing Projects. Follow the links to each of the registries to find projects that are appropriate to your particular situation.

This year the federal government has also introduced a new site with a directory of telecollaborative projects. You can find the Teachers' Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet another valuable resource.

Additional sources of telecollaborative projects are:

Synchronous Tools

Other projects are conducted by classes meeting on the Internet at the same time. This requires that each school have a very good Internet connection, generally with the ability to send audio and video.

One of the simplest ways to do this is simply to enter a chatroom and converse there. If we haven't done it yet, I'll set up a chat using the chatroom that is linked to this course so you can try this out.

Another powerful tool is Microsoft NetMeeting. This allows for audio and video conferencing, as well as a shared whiteboard, chatroom, and the ability to share applications. This program is FREE and can be installed as part of Internet Explorer or as an independent application.. Take a look at how some schools have put this to use at NetMeeting in Education.

One of the most popular tools is CU-SeeMe. The Global SchoolNet has a registry of projects and online schools at Classroom Conferencing.

Another type of interaction can be had using a primarily text-based interaction in a virtual space. These are known as MUVEs, MUDs, MOOs or MUSEs. A good place to try this idea out and to meet with other teachers from around the world is at Tapped In. You will not need any software other than your browser to begin wandering through the halls and participating in office meetings. Try it -- no explanation can really do it justice.

Integrating Telecollaborative Projects in Your Classroom

The projects are not without pitfalls of course. As Judi Harris points out, even the best planned and supported projects only realize about a 70% success rate. And that brings us back to an ongoing theme of the course. As you plan for any activity in your classroom, you need to consider the management issues as well as the curricular issues. In carrying out a telecollaborative project, you'll need to set "success points" along the way. Students need to be in on what you are trying to accomplish so that even only partially successful telecollaborative projects bring some positive curricular results. At this point (and maybe never) these projects can't be the only way you are presenting some critical pieces of the curriculum.

Virtual Field Trips

Technology has provided today's schools with ways to really visit interesting and curricularly important locations that would be otherwise too distant, too expensive or too dangerous. Some of these are merely picture books, others allow you to follow a live trip through e-mail or websites and the most ambitious allow students to use audio- and videoconferencing to interact with the scientists, explorers or other experts. Discover and Create Your Own Field Trips challenges teachers to put together their own field trips from the many resources available. This may mean simply working out the logistics of using a pre-made trip in the classroom, but it may also be developing your own content.

Related Assignments

Recommendation on telecollaborative curriculum projects or virtual field trips

This week you had a chance to review many, many telecollaborative projects and virtual field trips. Using the recommendations included in the readings and sites or your own explorations, select two or three you would recommend for your subject area and age group. Be careful to choose projects that are currently in progress or scheduled, not a defunct project.

Add the links to your recommended projects to your assignments page and include a brief rationale for your recommendations. Specify who you are recommending the projects for and why, and what precautions you have for those who might join the particular project.

As always, leave the URL to your assignments page in the WebCT forum under the appropriate heading to indicate that you have completed this and so others can take a look.