Virtual Classrooms
What are they?
A virtual classroom is a form of distance education using the internet. They allow teachers to teach and students to learn without being physically present in a classroom. Virtual classrooms can be synchronous, asynchronous or a combination of the two. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_classrooms
What might you find in a virtual classroom?
Class activities:
- Group and individual learning activities
- Discussions and chats with students, parents and guests
- Quizzes and surveys
- Homework activities and assessment documents
- Full on-line courses with modules of work
- Forums and synchronous chat sessions
- WebQuests, Hotlists, Scavenger Hunts, etc.
Class organization:
- Important information for students and parents
- Calendar and timetables
- Unit overviews
- Student grade/mark book and criteria sheets
- Student homepages
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/onlinelearning/virtual-classroom.html
What are some forms of virtual classrooms?
A private on-line space that teachers and students can use to communicate 24/7 (http://www.csupomona.edu/~iit/learning/blackboard.shtml).
Web based lessons that are created by teachers for the use of students (http://teacherweb.com/tweb/WebQuests.aspx).
3D virtual community where many professors are now choosing to hold class sessions (http://www.secondlife.com).
Click here to read an article about a teacher who holds class sessions on a virtual island in Second Life.
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Free site that provides teachers and studnets with features like live audio, video, text messaging, whiteboard, and content sharing (http://www.wiziq.com/tour/Learn-Teach-live-Virtual-Classroom.aspx).
Resources:
Blackboard. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from I&IT Learning Web site: http://www.csupomona.edu/~iit/learning/blackboard.shtml
Second Life. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from Second Life Web site: http://secondlife.com/
University of Florida (2007, February 8). Distance Learning Moves Into 'Second Life' Virtual Classroom. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 15,2009 Web site: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070207193301.htm
Virtual Classroom. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from The Learning Place Web site:
http://education.qld.gov.au/learningplace/onlinelearning/virtual-classroom.html
Virtual classroom. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from WiZiQ Web site:
http://www.wiziq.com/tour/Learn-Teach-live-Virtual-Classroom.aspx
What is a webquest?. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from Teacher Web Web site:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070207193301.htm
Distance education. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from Wikipedia Web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_classrooms