 |
    |
ACC Technology Research TeamTRT Home I Second Life I Lecture Capture I Social Networking 
The purpose of an Austin Community College Technology Research Team (TRT) is to review and assess new technologies and their applicability to the college’s missions and goals. The results of the research conducted by team members will culminate in a formal report with recommendations submitted to ACC's College-Wide Technology Committee (CWTC) and will help determine if and how ACC should invest time and energy in a particular technology. The team recommendations should address: • Viability for use in an educational setting Each team can be assembled based on real or organizational needs, a desire to become more informed about a new technology, or a directive from the administration. Teams will be made up of at least three people but no more than ten, to better facilitate coordination of meetings, participants, and information. Anyone inside or outside of the college can propose a TRT be established but only the CWTC can sanction a team as an official college initiative. It is recommended that teams include people from a range of stakeholders. At a minimum, a team should include full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and an Instructional Development Services (IDS) representative. Each team will be assigned a team leader. Team leaders will organize the team around the project and have final oversight on the recommendation report submitted to the CWTC. The teams will begin meeting at the start of each academic year and
as needed for no more than twelve months. Second Life/Virtual Worlds
A virtual world is a computer-based immersive online environment
inhabited by "residents" (represented by avatars) who interact with
one another and the virtual environment. Many institutions are
experimenting with virtual worlds for educational purposes due
to their significant potential to foster constructivist learning.
Virtual worlds can facilitate unconventional learning, allowing
students to discover and create knowledge, not for its own sake, but
as they work to accomplish other goals. Second Life Team MembersLecture Capture/Virtual Meetings
Online virtual meetings combine audio, video, chat, whiteboards, and
shared applications into a collaborative environment that can fit the
needs of today's online and face-to-face classrooms. Students and
faculty connect to the virtual meeting using common browser
plug-ins, so little or no additional software is required. Presenters can
be heard and seen in real-time by participants who can communicate
with one another and the instructor through chat, audio, and video.
Instructors can show slides, text files, multimedia, and a variety of
resources through the content pane. They can even demonstrate
applications and share access to applications with students. Sessions
can also be recorded for later access. Lecture Capture Team MembersSocial Networking
Social Networking Team MembersThe ACC Technology Research Teams/Group idea was based on the concept of "ETS Hot Teams" established at Penn State University. |
Online social network services such as MySpace, Facebook, and
Linkedin are websites that allow people to post profiles of themselves,
link to profiles of their friends and contacts, and leave comments
or messages on each other's pages that are viewable by others. Some
networks, such as Linkedin, focus more on business and career, while others are
more focused on community, hobbies, shared interests, and dating.