Tools for Fostering Online Collaboration

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Tools for Fostering Online Collaboration

• Doris U. Bolliger
• Bradley Grabham
• Karen Wenz
• St. Cloud State University

ITeach Conference November 04, 2005
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Microsoft Word

• Collaborative Features
• Comments
• Track Changes
• E-mail from within Word
• In body of message
• As attachment
• As attachment for review and revision

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Comments in Word

• Making comments in electronic document to promote
  dialog on writing assignments
• Students can make discreet comments that can be
  displayed, hidden or printed
• Instructors can make discreet comments that can
  be displayed, hidden or printed

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Comments between Student and Instructor
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CommentsHow To Insert, Edit and Delete

• Position cursor or select words in document
• Insert menu, Comment
• Type in comment bubble
• Edit commentclick bubble insert cursortype in
  existing comment
• Delete commentright-click bubble and Delete
  Comment

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Comments in Word Tips

• Encourage students to comment on their writing
  assignments
• Make your own comments return the electronic
  files to students
• To view comments View menu, Markup

This works well in D2L
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Tracking Changes

• Promotes writing as a process
• Students can show the development of their
  writing from first draft to final draft
• Instructor can view student progress
• Track improvement of writing skills
• Keeps record of revisions

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Track ChangesHow To

• Tools menu, Track Changes
• Any change that is made will be indicated by
• Deletionstrikethrough
• Additioncolored underlined text
• Changecolored underlined text comment
• Formatchange in appearance comment

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Tracking Changes--Example
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Track ChangeOptions
Tools menu, Options, Track Changes tab
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E-mail from within Word

• No need to move from document to e-mail
• Quick way to send file as soon as youve finished
  editing it

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E-mail from WordHow To

• File menu, Send To
• Mail Recipient (in body of message)
• Mail Recipient (for review)
• Mail Recipient (as attachment) set up for you
  to make changes and e-mail back to original sender

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E-mail from Word menu
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E-mail from WordTo Recipient
Entire document inserted in body of e-mail
message.
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E-mail from WordTo Recipient for Review
To Recipient for Review.
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E-mail from WordTo Recipient as Attachment
As a simple attachment.
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Desire2Learn (D2L)

• Threaded discussion forum (TD)
• Chat room
• E-mail
• Locker

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TD

• Time for reflection
• Good for brainstorming
• Indented messages
• Attachment of files

• More continuous
• than chat
• Flexible
• Printable
• Not synchronous

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Threaded Discussion--example
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Chat Room

• Synchronous
• Good for brainstorming
• Good for decision-making
• Archive
• Printable

• No time for reflection
• Difficult to keep up
• Small number of members
• Not flexible

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E-mail

• Selection from address list
• Attachment of files
• Good for distribution of information

• Not synchronous

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Locker

• Public or private
• Sharing of files
• Good for presentation outlines

• Good for posting drafts of assignments
• Only owner can upload

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Best Practices

• Combine the tools
• Discussions in chat
• Summary posts in TDs
• Locker download, modify, and e-mail to owner

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Course Files

• Students can have folders for collaborative/group
  work
• Provides extra file space for large files
  (multi-media)
• Course files can be left in folders for easy
  access by students
• Assignments can be submitted
• Network share accessible to enrolled students and
  instructor

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Course Files in Windows Explorer
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We(blogs)

• Personal journaling on the Web
• Editable by the owner only
• Readers may leave comments
• Individual assignments
• Replaces the physical journal

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Example
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Free Blogs

• For educators - edublogs.org
• For individuals - blogger.com
• Personal blogs - bloglines.com
• Personal blogs - blog-city.com
• More free blogs - blogster.com
• One more - BloggerCrab.com

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Wikis

• Editable Web-based journaling or writing
• Owner
• Readers
• Open access
• Collaborative works
• Group work or projects

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Example
http//en.wikinews.org/wiki/WikinewsWorkspace
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Free or Trial Wikis

• Jotspot www.jot.com
• Central Desktop www.centraldesktop.com
• Schtuff www.schtuff.com

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Downloads

• Skype
• www.skype.com
• Voice conferencing
• Chat room
• File sharing

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Downloads (continued)

• Microsoft NetMeeting
• www.microsoft.com
• Video and audio conferencing
• Chat
• File sharing
• Program sharing
• Whiteboard

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Questions?

• Doris U. Bolliger dubolliger_at_stcloudstate.edu
• Bradley Grabham
• bagrabham_at_stcloudstate.edu
• Karen Wenz klwenz_at_stcloudstate.edu