Remote Collaboration Tool

University of California

Davis

Copyright 2003 Richard F. Walters. Permission granted for non commercial use if this copyright included. To

disseminate or republish requires written permission from the author.

An Open Source, Platform Independent

Multimedia, Multilingual Tool

Designed to Enhance Human Interaction

Pedagogic Assuimptions

• Learning should be student-centered

• Learning should be activity driven

• Learning requires human feedback

Original Version

Whiteboarding example

Select Whiteboard Option

Click and Drag Option

Annotated screen snapshot

Whiteboard as part of message

Open RCT Version 1.5.0

Basic Concepts

• Client-server architecture

• Platform independent

• Multimedia (text, sound, URL, textpad)

• Multilingual (UNICODE compliant

• Synchronous/asynchronous

Features

• Multilingual chat• Teams: seamless link between synchronous and asynchronous

interaction• Store-and-forward sound• Collaborative writing tool: Textpad• Threaded discussion• URL Invoked on all on-line screens• File transfer• Full archiving of all interactions

RCT Login

User View (online users in bold text)

Class view showing team

Team View (online user in bold)

Option to join Team available

Multilingual Chat

Textpad collaborative writing tool

Threaded discussion expanded

URL selection to show on all screens

check to open automaitcally

Retrieving Archived Data

Select type of file to retrieve

Select method of retrieval, then “next”

Select number of instances to retrieve

Sample of archived chat messages

RCT Administration

Open RCT 1.5.0 provides extensive archiving of all interaction between users, synchronous as well as asynchronous (for team interaction).

Examples of the Administrative interaction are provided in the next set of illustrations.

Aministrative use login: 3 levels

Administrative tasks options

Adding course content (can be hidden or visible

Options for retrieving interactive content

New RCT (Fall, 2003)

Based on Macromedia Flash Communication Server

Currently under development

Prototype examples follow (Courtesy Thomas Amsler)

Flash Client: Main page

Users, Voice over IP, Chat, Textpad,

Flash Version

Group List

Flash Version

Sound archive

Flash Version

Textpad tool

To Be Added to Flash Version

Whiteboarding (2004):

Screen snapshot

File image retrieval

Layered annotation

Archiving of image with layered annotations

Math Notation (2004)

Application Sharing (2005)