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That's right! Voxopop talkgroups let you discuss your interests and passions with people from all over the world, using your real voice. It's a whole new way to talk online. Find talkgroups to join, or start your own and spread the word. Great for families & friends, interest groups, website owners, bloggers, podcasters and teachers. Start talking, it's FREE!"
"For three years, faculty and students at Baruch College of the City University of New York have been honing their public-speaking and presentation skills online with the college’s Video Oral Communication Assessment Tool, or VOCAT, which allows instructors to view and give feedback on uploaded student videos.
After finding success with the tool on campus, developers are now actively searching for ways to take VOCAT to the next level, both beyond Baruch and across academic disciplines."
"“An e-book is not an engaging experience, merely replicating a textbook,” say William D. Rieders, executive vice president for new media at the publishing company Cengage Learning. At the 2011 Higher Ed Tech Summit, he said this major publisher sees little future in e-books, despite the proliferation of Kindles and other e-book readers, and tablets like the iPad. "
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March 23, 2011
Improve Feedback with Audio and Video Commentary
By: John Orlando, PhD in Teaching with Technology
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While online discussion is generally deeper and more active than face-to-face discussion, even online discussions can eventually become a drudgery. Nobody likes reading long blocks of text online, yet discussion in an online classroom is text based.
Teaching with Technology column
One way to break the monotony is through audio or video-based discussion. The sound of a voice adds interest that is not possible in text discussion. Phil Ice (article referenced below) demonstrated the power of voice when he compared voice feedback on assignments to text feedback. He found a number of advantages to voice feedback:"
" Five Best Web-Based Conferencing ToolsIncreasingly sophisticated but inexpensive webcams, microphones, and speedier broadband make web-based conferencing more economical and attractive than ever. Here's a look at five excellent solutions for web-based conferencing."
"Using Skype as an Academic Tool: Lessons Learned
By Martin Sivula / July 2011
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Several years ago I witnessed a graduate student speaking to person on his laptop screen. I asked, "who are you talking to?" He said to his wife in Turkey. I asked what software are you using? He said Skype, and it is free. Thus began my entry into the world of Skype. At first chance I downloaded Skype onto my personal computer. Since that time I have used Skype as a communication and instructional tool for academic purposes. Skype software allows communication (audio, video, and text) between and among various electronic devices (computers, mobile phones, smartphones, I pods, etc.) over the Internet. You can use it with or without headphones, microphones, and/or speakers (in the text or pure visual modes). After the free download to your personal computer (or "app" on an iPod for example) when prompted you create a personal name or "handle" and password, you then share your Skype Name as a contact with persons of your choosing. To establish a lear"