Unit 5: ICT to Support Collaboration and Communication

1. Visit Twiddla and create an account as a group (http://www.twiddla.com). Using Twiddla, create a mind map relating to one of the collaborative tools that you have researched. Next, invite two other groups to join your Twiddla page and provide input and comment on the topic you have covered. You will be required to do the same when invited to provide commentary on another group’s mind map. Once you have finished, create a snapshot and save a version of the mind map.
2. In your groups, capture the definitions of Synchronous and Asynchronous collaborative tools that you discussed in the tutorial into a MS Word document and upload to Crocodoc (http://crocodoc.com/). Share the document with two other groups and invite them to provide input and comment on your document. You will be required to do the same when invited to provide commentary on another group’s document.
3. Create an individual Skype account (http://www.skype.com). Choose one member of the group to search for and then invite the fellow members of the group to join in a group conversation. Initiate a debate on some of the shortfalls/disadvantages of using collaborative tools in a learning environment.
4. Now that you have a better understanding of each of the tools, discuss how each of the ICT tools might be implemented to aid collaboration between students. Suggest contexts for use between students both inside and outside the classroom. In your groups complete table 1 below using the computers at your disposal and create a presentation that can be marked and include screen shots as evidence of your collaboration in each of the tools. (Screen capture = Alt-Prt Sc)
5. Upload the file into the designated Dropbox folder that has been created by the facilitator for this purpose.

Preperations

Table 1