Remote Collaboration Tool University of California Davis Copyright 2003 Richard F. Walters. Permission granted for non commercial use if this copyright included. To disseminate or republish requires written permission from the author.
An Open Source, Platform Independent Multimedia, Multilingual Tool Designed to Enhance Human Interaction
Pedagogic Assuimptions Learning should be student-centered Learning should be activity driven Learning requires human feedback
Original Version Whiteboarding example
Select Whiteboard Option
Click and Drag Option
Annotated screen snapshot
Whiteboard as part of message
Open RCT Version Basic Concepts Client-server architecture Platform independent Multimedia (text, sound, URL, textpad) Multilingual (UNICODE compliant Synchronous/asynchronous
Features Multilingual chat Teams: seamless link between synchronous and asynchronous interaction Store-and-forward sound Collaborative writing tool: Textpad Threaded discussion URL Invoked on all on-line screens File transfer Full archiving of all interactions
RCT Login
User View (online users in bold text)
Class view showing team
Team View (online user in bold) Option to join Team available
Multilingual Chat
Textpad collaborative writing tool
Threaded discussion expanded
URL selection to show on all screens check to open automaitcally
Retrieving Archived Data
Select type of file to retrieve
Select method of retrieval, then “next”
Select number of instances to retrieve
Sample of archived chat messages
RCT Administration Open RCT provides extensive archiving of all interaction between users, synchronous as well as asynchronous (for team interaction). Examples of the Administrative interaction are provided in the next set of illustrations.
Aministrative use login: 3 levels
Administrative tasks options
Adding course content (can be hidden or visible
Options for retrieving interactive content
New RCT (Fall, 2003) Based on Macromedia Flash Communication Server Currently under development Prototype examples follow (Courtesy Thomas Amsler)
Flash Client: Main page Users, Voice over IP, Chat, Textpad,
Flash Version Group List
Flash Version Sound archive
Flash Version Textpad tool
To Be Added to Flash Version Whiteboarding (2004): Screen snapshot File image retrieval Layered annotation Archiving of image with layered annotations Math Notation (2004) Application Sharing (2005)