technology taster: synchronous communication
DESCRIPTION
Lunchtime Technology Taster from 22 January 2009 at the Institute of Education, University of London. Communicating online at the same time is particularly useful when your students are off-campus. However, there are a few scenarios when it may make sense in a classroom as well. This session briefly demonstrated the three available options accessed for Blackboard: Simple text chat, more advanced text chat plus presentation, and the super-powerful Elluminate, which includes audio/video conferences, which you can use to record lectures as they happen - or to set up your very own virtual office.TRANSCRIPT
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Synchronous Communication in Blackboard
Tim Neumann
Learning Technologies Unit
Sub-brand to go here
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Contents
1 Synchronous Communication – some remarks
2 Blackboard: Lightweight Chat
3 Blackboard: Virtual Classroom
4 Elluminate
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Synchronous Communication
Why?
• Bridging distance• Social aspects: fun, bonding• Bringing in outsiders• Activating quieter students• Rich tasks: collaboration, brainstorming, q and a, chat games• Recording transcripts
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Synchronous Communication
Issue: Technology
Java required (not JavaScript!)
http://www.java.com
Are you an IOE Staff Member and a Windows PC user?• Your computer may not have the correct version of Java installed• If the tools don’t work, call Computer Helpdesk: x6696
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Synchronous Communication
Issue: Time Zones
Time Zone Converter:
http://www.timeanddate.com
Meeting Planner:
http://www.meetomatic.com
http://www.doodle.com
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Synchronous Communication
Issue: Online Behaviour
Chatiquette:
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/communication/chat/chatiquette.html
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Blackboard: Lightweight Chat
Simple Chat ToolCommunication > Collaboration > join Chat tool• basic text chat• permission control
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Blackboard: Virtual Classroom
Advanced Text-Based Chat ToolCommunication > Collaboration > join Virtual Classroom tool• all features of the lightweight chat• whiteboard• group browser• moderated q & a• course map• breakout rooms
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Elluminate
Full Audio-Visual Desktop Conferencing ToolCommunication > Elluminate Live!• all features of the Bb Virtual Classroom (except moderated q & a)• six-way audio for voice communication• six-way video for video conferencing• fine-grained permission system• instant feedback with statistics• quizzes/tests with statistics • application sharing and many more features
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Elluminate
Access to Elluminate
By default, access to the Elluminate Live! Session Manager is hidden.
Blackboard Instructors can activate Elluminate at:• Control Panel > Manage Tools > Building Block Tool Availability• Check Elluminate Live! Manager and press Submit
You can now schedule/access sessions under Communication.
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Further Information
Literature• Jonathan Finkelstein: Learning in Real Time (Jossey-Bass)• Jennifer Hofmann: The Synchronous Trainer’s Survival Guide (Pfeiffer)
Other• http://www.elluminate.com/training
Templates for Elluminate scenarios are currently being prepared
and should be available by mid-February 2009 on the LTU Website.
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Contact
Learning Technologies Unit
020 7763 2183
www.lkl.ac.uk/LTU
Institute of EducationUniversity of London20 Bedford WayLondon WC1H 0AL
Tel +44 (0)20 7612 6000Fax +44 (0)20 7612 6126Email [email protected] www.ioe.ac.uk