Synchronicity

No question, in recent years, real time technologies have grown in popularity with the growth of broadband. No longer is it possible to just assume that a significant portion of students will not be able to participate in audio and/or video conferencing.

That said, we are not quite there yet.

Dial up is still the option for a number of students who take online classes. And it will always be difficult for those students to receive Voice or Video over the Internet.

All technologies and all teaching situations depend on audience and context, of course, but perhaps synchronous technologies even more so.

Besides depending on broadband, synchronous technologies depend on a schedule. The participants have to be at the computer at the same time. That's seldom a problem in a corporate training context. That is almost always a problem in online classes that have students across multiple time zones.

If the context is training, the audience is local, and everyone has broadband, then synchronous technologies no doubt have a place in the design of online classes.

But that is seldom the case in online K-12 or higher ed.

Note the phrase "in the design of online classes." That's our focus here--designing environments for student centered learning.

Can synchronous technologies add to that?

How?

Are there ways synchronous technologies could be used that might actually undercut student-centered designs?

SKYPE and ADOBE CONNECT

We have selected two programs to highlight here.

SKYPE (rhymes with type) and Adobe Connect.

Spend some time on their Web sites. Explore. Download, if you like.

Adobe Connect appears to be the most obvious choice for delivering training or video conferencing.

Currently (summer 2008), Skype is getting the most press. It even has a significant Wikipedia entry. As you are exploring Skype, don't miss Skypecasts

Can you think of how this synchronous technology can be used in education or training?

Watch the discussion board for suggested activities regarding these two programs.

 

PEER REVIEW

Now that everyone has "stuff" online, we will be setting up in this module a structure for peer review, which will continue to the final week of class.

You will be asked to comment on fellow students' portfolios in a "commend, commend, recommend" style. One objective of the peer review is for the one being reviewed to have the benefit of other eyes. Another (perhaps even more important) objective is for the person doing the reviewing to be exposed to other participants' work.

We expect the peer review to be one of the most significant learning components of this class.

Look for details in class announcements about mid-week.

In the meantime, keep working on your learning activities. You may also begin downloading and experimenting with new programs such as Audacity.

DOWNLOADS

Since the class is overwithin the month, it is now safe to consider downloading 30 day trial programs you may need for the last month of class.

• Quicktime Pro ($29.95)
• Camtasia Studio. (30-day free trial) records screen, audio, and video on your computer and allows them to be converted into an online video for tutorials/presentations. Probably one of the best ways to convert narrated Powerpoint files into vodcasts. It produces 508 compliant and SCORM compliant "movies." (You can export to a Flash file with IMS manifest files, etc.) Currently, a single copy can can be purchased from JourneyEd for $149.00. It is definitely worth trying out.
• iTunes (free)
• MagPie Captioning Software with both Windows and MacOS editions. Creates captions and audio descriptions for rich media (free)
  • Note: MagPie 2x requires the download of Quicktime and Java Runtime Edition (JRE), so follow directions on their Site closely.
• RealProducer Basic (free). Converts some audio/video files to Real streaming files.
• AuthorPoint by AuthorGen (30-day free trial--only first two minutes of movie work) Converts PowerPoints to SCORM compliant Flash (retail $299)
• Articulate (15-day free trial ). High end and pretty expensive. Converts PowerPoints to Flash movies (retail $699.00)
• FlashPoint (a free trial version available) PowerPoint plugin that converts the presentation to Flash. Retail. $49.00