eToolbox: Mapping Technologies to Learning - Virtual Classroom for collaboration

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What are Virtual Classrooms?

 

A Virtual Classroom is a collection of technologies building on web conferencing, instant messaging and chat applications which bring a group of people together for a class or meeting, all conducted online. Because the class or meeting is conducted online, participants do not need to be in the same location as each other. Because all participants are accessing the class using technology, the technology can be taken advantage of to assist participation in the class, to record and replay the content, to share sketches, opinions and questions on a virtual whiteboard or chat system. A virtual classroom does more than substitute for a real classroom, it leverages the technology to enhance the learning experience.

 

Some typical applications in a virtual classroom which can enhance the learner experience are web conferencing, shared whiteboards, group browsers, question boxes, application sharing, and instant messaging. Virtual classrooms can also provide a mechanism for building breakout rooms for participants to collaborate with each other - often with the option of random assignments of participants to rooms.

 

Virtual classrooms can typically be accessed using mobile devices. Many of the features of a virtual classroom can be accessed using free technologies such as Skype, which has web conferencing and instant messaging for example. Full implementations of virtual classrooms, such as the implementation in Blackboard Collaborate, have a full set of powerful features to create an integrated learning experience for students. Google launched its webconferencing and social chat system - Google Hangouts - in May 2013, providing many of the features of a Virtual Classroom.

 

Virtual classroom are useful for classes and for meetings. Meetings among students who wish to collaboration synchronously (at the same time) can be facilitate through virtual classroom technology.

 

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What will I learn on this page?

 

This page provides guidance to practitioners who wish to learn how to use Virtual Classrooms to facilitate and support learning through collaboration, as per Diana Laurillard’s model. By following this page, reading its content, watching the videos and following the links provided you will be able to:

 

1. Describe and discuss why Virtual Classrooms are useful for supporting learning through collaboration.
2. Design appropriate assessments using Virtual Classrooms to support student learning through collaboration.
3. Design appropriate moderation and management for Virtual Classrooms, to support student learning through collaboration.
4. Select an appropriate product to implement a Virtual Classroom on your course.
5. Provide us with details of your experience of using wikis on your course.

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Why should I consider Virtual Classrooms for collaboration?

 

Activity 1: Read the blog posting from Tracie Regan Consulting which expands on the following 4 reasons why virtual classrooms support distance learning.

 

• Virtual classrooms bring back direct learning in an e-learning course.
• Classes can be recorded and played back.
• Maximise your industry networks and bring the workplace into the classroom.
• Model sustainability practices.

 

Activity 2: Read the paper Synchronous and Asynchronous E-Learning by Stefan Hrastinski. In this paper, the author makes the point that synchronous communication provides students with opportunities to discuss relatively straightforward topics that don't require much reflection (for example planning), hold group meetings or discussions, or get acquainted at the start of a session or group. Some of these points are revisited in the blog posting from ELearners which contrasts synchronous and asynchronous e-learning. 

 

Activity 3: Read the following paper which provides a number of designs and context within which synchronous e-learning though chat, video and other methods, can add significant value.

 

Hrastinski, S., Keller, C., Carlsson, S. (2010). Design exemplars for synchronous e-learning: A design theory approach. Computers & Education 55 (2010) 652e662

 

The four design exemplars provided, which motivate synchronous e-learning, are:

• Design exemplar #1: Use synchronous e-learning to support strong group-wide relations
• Design exemplar #2: Use synchronous e-learning to support weak class-wide relations
• Design exemplar #3: Use synchronous e-learning for task support
• Design exemplar #4: Use synchronous e-learning for social support

 

Task: Having reviewed all the material above, post a message to our discussion forum in response to the following question:

 

• Where are you considering the use of Virtual Classrooms for learning by collaboration, and why are you considering it?

 

Reply to two other postings in this forum.

 

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How can I use Virtual Classrooms for collaboration?

 

Activity 1: Watch the following video on the use of Google Hangouts for educators. This provides a useful example of how this free technology can be used in education, for members of Google Plus.

 

 

Tips on how to moderate a Google Hangout, which is also useful in this context, is described in the next short video.

 

 

Activity 2: For the remaining activities, we will use Blackboard Collaborate, because it contains a comprehensive set of features. You will find many of the features identified, however, in other tools, including some free tools. 

 

First, watch this introduction to Blackboard Collaborate's Virtual Classroom.

 

 

Activity 3: One of the advantages of the Virtual Classroom is that it supports breakout rooms, where groups of students can meet to collaborate. This is demonstrated in the brief video below.

 

 

Activity 4: The Whiteboard functionality provides users with an option to collectively sketch on a shared space. This is described in the video below.

 

 

Activity 4: The Application Sharing functionality provides users with a way to show each other, in real time, how they are using a particular program on their computer. This can be very useful for sharing ideas and collaborating on developing solutions in applications like CAD, Excel etc.

 

 

Task: Having reviewed all the material above, post a message to our discussion forum in response to the following question:

 

1. Is there anything interesting or useful you have learned from these videos?
2. What are some things that are difficult to understand?
3. How did watching these videos help you think about the design of Virtual Classrooms for your course?
4. Have the comments on your ideas made by other contributors made you rethink the issue? 

 

Reply to two other postings in this forum.

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What products can I use for Virtual Classrooms for collaboration?

 

Activity 1: If your institution uses the Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), watch the video below to see how to set up a Virtual Classroom using that tool.

 

 

or 

 

Activity 2: If your institution uses the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), watch the video below to see how to set up web conferencing, which is a component of a Virtual Classroom using that tool.

 

 

or 

 

Activity 3: If your institution uses Adobe Connect watch the video below to see how to set up a Virtual Classroom using that tool.

 

 

Activity 4: Watch the video below to see how to set up a Virtual Classroom using Google Hangouts.

 

 

 

Task: Having completed one of Activity 1, 2, 3 or 4 above, create a Virtual Classroom for your course and pilot a collaboration. After two sessions post a response to the following questions on our discussion forum:

 

• What has worked well in your Virtual Classroom, and why?
• What has not worked well in your Virtual Classroom, and why?
• What would you do differently for the next Virtual Classroom you will set up, and why?

 

Reply to two other postings in this forum.

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Give me an example of using Virtual Classroom for collaboration.

 

Activity 1: Watch the following case study from Andy Peisley and Helen Pokorny from the University of Westminster, who describe how they use Virtual Classroom for on a course on the MA in Higher Education.

 

 

Task: Having reviewed the case study, post a message to our discussion forum in response to the following questions:

 

• Is there anything interesting or useful you have learned from this case studies?
• What are some things that are difficult to understand?
• How did this case study help you think about the design of the Virtual Classroom for your course?
• Have the comments on your ideas made by other contributors made you rethink the issue?

 

Reply to two other postings in this forum.

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Tell us about your experience of using Virtual Classrooms for collaboration.

 

Please use the comment box below to tell us about your experience of using wikis for collaboration. If you have created a resource elsewhere, please provide a link.