Using ICT for Peer-to-Peer Collaboration

[David Richardson]

I've just had a very pleasurable experience writing a book chapter about blogging, audio-blogging, podcasting and Internet radio, together with Bryan Carter, who works for Central Missouri State University (CMSU). We used Marratech desktop video conferencing frequently to show each other the additions we'd made to the text, and to discuss the direction the chapter was going in. It's amazing how much easier it is to write together if you can also talk together as you're doing it.

I'm also just setting up a couple of classroom-to-classroom co-operative projects. One of them involves classes of secondary school pupils studying French in various countries. My aim is to set up Marratech links between them so that they can exchange ideas with each other directly.

The other involves getting ESL (English as a Second Language) students and teachers from CMSU directly involved with teacher trainees and other students here in Kalmar. We're in the process of setting up a 'Marratech room', so that people on each side of the Atlantic can participate in each other's lectures, lessons and group work.

If you're interested hearing more, or in sharing your experiences in the same area, please don't hesitate to post!