Multimedia 2

I'm also in the Educational Technology M.S. program at CSU East Bay. Quite a few of those classes operate in a hybrid format: some weeks we meet on campus in a traditional room, but for others we meet online or do online activities. I haven't been completely happy with these classes because the best methods for implementation seem like they are still being worked out, but they have made for some interesting class experiences.

We have done a few sessions on Second Life, which could be fun but there might have been too much tech overhead involved; most students hadn't used it before, so they had to set up avatars and learn basic navigation skills, etc., which drew their attention away from actually meeting and discussing class business in that virtual world. It might be an interesting way for students to meet outside of class business in order to build social capital, however.

Another tool we've used a number of times is videoconferencing. Everyone logs on at a predetermined time with a web cam and microphone, and class proceeds just as it might on campus. The results have been interesting, though somewhat less satisfying than actually meeting. One problem is the limitations of the software: only one person can speak at a time, you have to sign up and get into a "queue" in order to have speaking time, etc. This sounds like no big deal, but actually it does seem to take away a bit of spontaneity, plus seeing a thumbnail webcam of each other student is not as grounding as seeing them in the flesh. It has possibilities, though. Another problem is that many people reported being a lot more self-conscious during videoconferencing sessions than they normally are in a regular classroom, probably because during videoconferencing you can see yourself.