| Synchronous Communication 
Synchronous communication is communication taking place at the same time.
Synchronous, or real-time, communication has yet to emerge as a popular technology in
online education, but the likely merging of Web and audio/video delivery formats over time
may, if successful and affordable, effectively virtualize education on a global scale.
(See also asynchronous communication.)
| Examples of Uses |
Chat rooms, MUDs, MOOs; more complex Web-based iterations of synchronous
communication include videoconferencing (with tools like CUSeeMe
from White Pine Software and Microsoft's NetMeeting) and
teleWeb delivery systems that combine video programs with Web-based resources and
activities and print-based materials. |
|
| Requirements for Using it on a
Computer |
Text-based Synchronous Communication
Chat rooms either reside on a server or can be imported into Web sites as applets.
Real-time interactive environments like MUDs (multiple-user dungeons) and MOOs (multiple
object orientations) are Unix-based programs that reside on servers. In both kinds of
synchronous communication, users connect with the help of chat-client software and log in
to virtual "rooms" where they communicate with each other by typing onscreen.
Because MOOs and chat rooms frequently attract many users, it is advisable to access them
using a high-end computer (Pentium-class PC or Macintosh PowerPC) and a fast connection to
the Internet (T1 or better). The computer should also be running Netscape or Internet
Explorer 4+ and should be Java enabled. MOOs and chat rooms often have their own sound
effects to denote communicative gestures (such as laughter and surprise); to use or hear
them, the computer must be equipped with a sound card and speakers.Audio/Video-based
Synchronous Communication
Because this technology is usually delivered over digital subscriber lines rather than
through the Web, it is beyond the scope of this project. Digital subscriber lines, also
known as DSL, deliver voice and data simultaneously at speeds 30 times faster than 56K
modems. Implementing DSL involves making business and telecommunication decisions that
require expertise in media production as well as computer networks. This is an expensive
technology and as of this date has not gained widespread use beyond the corporate learning
environment. Popular corporate packages currently include Interwise Millennium
and Centra. |
|
| Requirements for Using it to
Create Materials |
Text-based Synchronous Communication
Text-based synchronous communication has not yet been widely adopted as a Web-based
learning tool. Notable examples of Web-based synchronous learning projects created by
academic institutions include the online communities being developed for educational purposes at the
Georgia Institute of Technology and the Geology Explorer
MOO being developed by Brian Slator at the University of North Dakota. Faculty wishing
to create original materials using MOOs or MUDs will need to learn the object-based
programming language that enables these applications to run. More frequently, faculty find
it easier and more useful for students to engage in synchronous communication as part of
ethnographic research (see the examples in Module 1 listed below). |
|
| Examples in Module 1 |
|
This project is a joint initiative of the Center for the Virtual University and the Center for Teaching and Learning
at UMUC.
© 1996-2005 University of Maryland University College
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, Maryland 20783 USA
|
