3.1 Mainstream virtual campus software
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See:
http://www.ctt.bc.ca/landonline/
[Landon's comparative Analysis]
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Some market leaders:
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WebCT:
http://homebrew1.cs.ubc.ca/webct/
At Tecfa we
teach
WebCT (but don't use it for teaching)
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Topclass:
http://www.wbtsystems.com/
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Lotus Learning Space:
http://www.lotus.com/home.nsf/tabs/learnspace
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Main features:
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Asynchronous Communication: email, forums
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Synchronous Communication: chat, whiteboard, teleconferencing, group browsing, application sharing,...
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Student tools: home page, self tests, bookmarks, progress tracking, ....
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Student Management Tools: progress tracking, on-line grading, ....
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Lessons tools: authoring (structured HTML text), testing (e.g. JavaScript generators)
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Main differences:
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Authoring (ability to import, hand coding, HTML forms-based editing tools)
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Student Management (at course- and general level)
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Application sharing and co-editing
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TeleConferencing
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Flexibility and possibility to adapt the software
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Missing features:
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Virtual Space
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Interactive applications (besides HTML forms)
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Interactive shared applications
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"openness" (most are quite locked)
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2 main teaching approaches supported:
Traditionalist teaching
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Mostly reading and answering questions
Resource and project-based learning
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This saves Internet-based teaching !