Google Wave and Its Potential Impact on Education and Collaboration
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A Revolutionary CSCL*-tool GOOGLEWAVE or an overestimated hype? Examination assignment A Study and Analysis of Google Wave and its Potential Impact on Education and Collaboration by Johanna Hane Google Wave is a service "wave" you can invite the people computer desktop or any other developed by Google that that you want to participate from folder and the files are displayed describes it as e-mail as it your contact list . When you write directly on the screens of the would look like if it was a message il will appear at once, other participants. invented today. while writing, for all who are Wave is supposed to be In short, that means a participants in the "wave". If the developed by users.Even now combination of email, instant other participants are not online, there are a lot of accessories, so- messaging, wikis and social the message will still be sent in called "gadgets" and "bots" to networks.Google says the tool can the "wave" and they can see it facilitate and expand be used for communication and when they go online. opportunities for the use of Wave. collaboration in real time through People who are For example, there is an addition the Internet. They believe that connected as a participant may that translates from one language our need for communication has respond directly in the "wave" or to another, in real time. However, changed radically since e-mail modify a text, and everything can one should remember that the learning and IT, TIA037 H09 learning and IT, was invented about 40 years ago. be seen directly on the others' current version of Wave is only a The service operates in screens without having to wait for "preview" and there will certainly such a way that it starts so-called the person to be done editing or be some changes before the Introduction to communication, Introduction "waves" which communicates to be finished writing their service is released to the public. directly, in real time, with those message.To attach a file you drag For a more you chose to communicate the files you want to attach comprehensive presentation, see with.Once you have created a directly into the "wave" from the the links on page 9 1 * Computer supported collaborative learning The approach order to be able to test it, one must be are developing both in the question I invited, and to get an invitation proved asked, and on the procedure itself. Soon, for my study to be easier said than done. To my great the participants begin to, at their own happiness, I won a contest on the initiative, add "gadgets" and discuss the Internet and therefore had my Wave use for these. The choice to study the phenomenon account. As a second step in my test of TIA037 H09 Wave was not at all obvious at first. I was I needed someone to test it with, so Wave, I asked participants to imagine interested in studying both the Fronter I looked up a Facebook group where that together we should compose a text learning platform and the virtual world people in the same situation had put on Google Wave. I started to write one Second Life before I came into contact their account information.I started a line and it soon developed into a small with Google Wave through a discussion text. forum on the Swedish social network "wave" (without any prior knowledge) In addition to what myself and the UNIVERSITY and invited all these people. I asked them Dela! and my partner who works with invited participants from every corner of to help me with this assignment and gave the world in my wave have discussed, I web development on a daily basis. them instructions. I finally decided that Wave was tried to pick up different reactions from What happened next is hard to other places. I have discussed Wave with something I was curious about. It describe in words. I have therefore seemed like something I could use in my my friends, I have read about it on profession and something that is now chosen to show you, using a recorded Twitter, blogs and forums, I have looked very controversial in all sorts of circles, "play back" sequence how the "wave" through numerous of other waves where albeit mostly online in various blogs and evolved. hundreds of people are doing exactly the GOTHENBURG forums. In the film we see, for example, same thing as the participants do in my To learn as much as possible about how the participants take responsibility own wave. Wave, I felt that I needed to try it out. In for organizing the flow, how the debate Clarification: When I refer to Wave with a capital letter, I mean the actual service that Google has created. When I write about a wave with small letters, I mean the "wave" in which participants are invited and where they write messages and create together. In this study I describe Wave as a service. Wave really is a protocol for which Google Wave is a client / service such as Outlook is an e-mail client. Wave in practice applications for the new service, and already there are being developed a invitation only variation of both useful and useless supplements. When you read what people One may wonder why Google write about Wave in forums and in admits only a relatively small blogs you notice a certain degree of number of users to the Wave. You frustration with not being invited. could say that it is quite unusual at There are many speculations and all to let users in at such an early the service is both raised up to the stage of the launch of this kind of skies and dismissed as something service. that will never be a "hit". Can eveyone come and play? The reason for Google's In either way people choose to approach seems to be that they want relate to Wave, it seems as if There are all sorts of tips on how to get an invitation. the users' feedback and comments everyone wants to get an invitation. The easiest way is to know someone who was on areas of development now in Google has thus managed to create entrusted with handing out invitations. Otherwise, you order to create a service that can be something that everyone wants, even can write to Google and "ask nicely" and hope for the used for what the intended users before the service is released. The best. want. The idea is that anyone should feeling of exclusivity is evident. be able to participate in creating 2 Pedagogical benefits and drawbacks with Wave With the help of the participants in my wave, and by reading parts of the web, eg. photos, videos, maps, news, and to TIA037 H09 what is written in various forums, wikis, blogs, etc. I have discuss them together. This of course creates a good come to the conclusion that there are a lot of advantages to opportunity for interdisciplinary work. using Wave for training purposes. Because Wave is not yet released to the public, it is To begin with Wave is an excellent tool for easier to speculate on the positive impact the service can have collaboration. Participants can collect thoughts and other on education and learning. However, I want to present some resources into a single wave, which acts as a living document of the obvious drawbacks of the current situation. If these will UNIVERSITY since you can edit what others have written. The teacher may be corrected before the service is released or not remains to be also be able to give further seen. instructions, ask questions and First and foremost, there is comment on student work during ”I mean come on. You could draft the still no way to create waves in the process. Constituation together with this thing” which participants only have Another advantage is the reading access.In some cases, "play-back" mode where the Kevin Conner maybe you do not want that teacher has the opportunity to see a everyone who sees the work also GOTHENBURG wave develop. It is a totally new way will be able to edit its content. It of looking at work processes and it provides opportunities for should be possible to attribute various rights of the wave to newcomers to take part of what has happened before. It also each participant. This would be useful in such as political gives students the opportunity to reflect on their own learning debates in which two participants are arguing against each process. other. Other participants could comment on the speeches and Because Wave offers the opportunity for both vote on who they think is best, but not change the actual synchronous and asynchronous communication, the work arguments. Many users have expressed frustration at the does not need to be coordinated by all participants. If they structure of Wave at the moment. It is difficult to distinguish can not participate discussion in real time, they can always see between messages that have to do with the topic and general exactly what has happened and change the outcome "noise". The result is messy and it is easy to miss "important" afterwards. This can be usefully applied by students who are messages. Currently, the system is also very slow in general unable to attend a seminar, or for distance learning. Students and disturbed by "bugs". This is not unusual in early versions can use Wave to compare and discuss their notes from lectures and should be corrected in the official version.