Elluminate

I would like to briefly review a web based learning tool called Elluminate. This is a virtual classroom that is focused on synchronous web based learning. They offer a good case for using the synchronous online classroom mode in their white paper, "The Impact of Synchronous Online Learning on Academic Institutions". The immediacy of response in synchronous online learning, I believe is the most persuasive point. We are aware of the transactional distance inherent in asynchronous communications. Many of these issues with asynchronous communications in learning can be addressed by careful instructional design and use of sound pedological principles. I believe personally in using Constructivist theory to build learning and comprehension in steps and also carefully use social media as a way to generate interaction in the asynchronous online learning mode. Elluminate is basically a web conferencing product, but it offers several features aimed specifically towards education. I particularly like the multimedia modes. One feature allows up to six students (participants) to use their web cams to post real time streams as the class progresses. The instructor can also stream prerecorded video and can open URLs on the participants windows in real time. The Elluminate site has many resources available, including demos and webinars. There is also a feature called "V" spaces, that allow sharing of files, teleconferencing, on-demand sessions, recorded sessions and the ability to move participants into breakout rooms for smaller sessions. Taken all together, Elluminate is a powerful and comprehensive set of tools for on-line synchronous learning.

Prezi

Prezi is presentation software. It is a little hard describe, but basically it uses a white board concept of showing the complete view of the presentation in space and as the presenter "clicks" through, the objects are zoomed and rotated in sequence. Videos and pictures as well as text can be used. The app is free and there desktop as well as Ipad versions. The tutorials provided on the site are well created and the two basic tools used to create the Prezi, the "zebra menu and the bubble menu" are intuitive and easy to use. You can use the bubble menu to directly insert a Youtube video URL into the presentation. I've added a Prezi presentation video that goes through the basics. Prezi is interesting and fairly easy to use software and we all need new tools to make our presentations stand out and get our points across. One word of advice is that in reviewing several Prezi presentations in a row , I started to feel a little seasick, so watch your pacing and respect your audience.

Sakai initial thoughts

The Sakai Project is a collaboration of universities that combines their concepts and ideas to create a larger more robust and flexible system for online education focusing on interactivity. The Sakai Project was formulated during a meeting between Joseph Hardin (U. of Michigan), Amitava Mitra (MIT), Jeff Merriman (MIT), Charles Severance ( U. of Michigan), Lance Speelmon, (Indiana U.), and Brad Wheeler (Indiana U.) on September 22nd 2003. The early versions of the software were based on existing tools created by the founding institutions, especially the University of Michigan's "CHEF" course management system. The software now contains a course management system, including document distribution, a grade book, discussion, live chat, assignment uploads, online testing and online collaboration. The University of Cambridge development of a Wiki app was the first addition of an implementation tool outside of the initial group and showed that the Sakai model was going to be viable. " A guide to participating in an open source software community " provides additional information about open source communities. The Sakai download page provides demos and actual software that can be freely used. Sakai has been around awhile now and is being used by many universities for collaborative online education so it should be reviewed by anyone interested in this topic.