Cynthia Calongne

Colorado Technical University

NMC Rock the Academy 2008

Beyond the Backchannel:

Blending Student Content

with Open Discourse

Characteristics of a Backchannel

•Whispers•Context•Meaning•Direct•Collaborative•Fresh•Lively•Engaging•Satisfying

The Backchannel and Open Discourse

Connection

Interaction

Lurking with intent

Grand ideas, recorded and published

in the time it takes you to say them

Let Your VoiceBe Heard

Exploration and

Collaboration

MeetingMinds

Novel class experiences recorded and turned into a music videohttp://animoto.com/play/3ca65bf4857a660a1464abf52f4e5309

Second Life’s Building Blocks

•Second Life•Communication•Avatar Movement•Camera Controls•Tools

•Learning Goals•Course Content•Activities•Assessment

Social Discourse and Creativity

Learning to build while talking Exploring research ideas

Pulling it all together

Experimental Design

Usability tests with collaboration and feedback from other schools

New forms of communicationand interaction

Movement and dance

Discourse between people and created content

Links to Tools

• Twitter at http://twitter.com

• Animoto at http://animoto.com

• Lyr Lobo’s research at http://ctusoftware.blogspot.com/

• Slideshare at http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo

• Second Life at http://secondlife.com

• Gabcast.com at http://www.gabcast.com/

Beyond the Backchannel: Blending Student Content with Open Discourse

Cynthia Calongne at calongne@pcisys.net

For info,contact

Lyr Loboin

Second Life