2.3. Learning Environments
2.3.1. Platforms used in University Projects
Firstly, many of the studies investigated state the means of communication, or activity, but
do not specify a particular tool or software. For instance, several researchers indicate the use
of a message board, or forum during the projects, but do not state which one specifically
(O’Dowd, 2009; Liaw & Bunn-Le Master, 2010; O’Dowd & Eberbach, 2004; Kung, 2002 and
Fuchs, Hauk & Müller-Hartmann, 2012). Consequently, this may create a distorted image of
the environments used. Nonetheless, it is useful to look at the ones that are specified.
According to the research reports, 22 different platforms were during university projects. For
a complete overview, including the studies that mention these environments, see table 6.
Platforms such as Blackboard, WebCT, FirstClass, Moodle and MOOssiggang support
both synchronous and asynchronous communication, so they include a message board and
32 audio-visual communication. Both Blackboard and Moodle are used 5 times in university
projects, WebCT is mentioned 4 times, and FirstClass is used only twice.
Cyber-Vine and Facebook are the some of the environments mentioned that enable
asynchronous communication as sole format. Cyber-Vine is a message board, and is used
once. Facebook is a social medium, which supports both asynchronous and synchronous
communication. Yet, the one exchange that uses it as a platform focuses on asynchronous,
forum-like messages, and does not use its synchronous chat function (Bray & Iswanty, 2013).
In line with these asynchronous messages are the social networking environments that support
blogging, such as Blogger, which was used 4 times, and Xanga, Pixnet and MySpace, which
are used once each.
Unfortunately, many of the asynchronous message boards used were not mentioned by
name. As a result, it is only possible to speculate and predict that asynchronous bulletin
boards - including Moodle and Blackboard, if the integrated chat function is not used by
participants - would be by far the most popular tools, as asynchronous communication is the
most common format in both educational contexts.
MSN Messenger (or Windows Live Messenger) can be used for synchronous chat messages,
but some versions enable the use of a webcam and/or microphone, so the program is also
eligible for videoconferencing. However, as indicated earlier, this program is used primarily
for solely text-based conversations (70%), and it was used 5 times, so it is in the top 5 of most
used environments. Additionally, C6 is also software used for synchronous chat, but this
platform is mentioned only once.
Skype, Adobe Connect, Lyceum, PictureTel and CUSeeMe enable videoconferencing
(VC), and are most regularly used for multimodal communication only. Skype is used 6 times,
whereas Adobe Connect is mentioned 4 times, and Lyceum, PictureTel and CUSeeMe are
33 Table 6
Online Platforms used in the University Projects Investigated
Description Website Times
used
Specific Studies
Blackboard
“The Blackboard Learning System [is a] course management system” (“Student Manual,” n.d.), designed for e-learning, and facilitates both synchronous and asynchronous
communication, and functions like sharing files and creating pages.
http://www.blackboard.com 5
Ware (2005);
Ware & O’Dowd (2008); Lee (2007);
Lee (2009);
Keranen & Bayyurt (2006)
WebCT
WebCT can be compared to Blackboard, as the two have merged into one, new system under the name of Blackboard, since 2005 (PR Newswire, n.d.).
(No link available.) 4
Ware & O’Dowd (2008); Kabata & Edasawa (2011); Darhower (2007 and 2008); Basharina (2007 and 2009)
FirstClass
FirstClass is a “fully integrated suite of applications” (Open Text Corporation, 2009, p. 1), which enables users to communicate inside and outside real-time, and group spaces or communities, blogs, podcasts, archives and storage.
http://www.firstclass.com 2 Müller-Hartmann (2006);
Belz (2001; 2002; 2003 and 2005)
Moodle
“Moodle is a software package for producing Internet-based courses and web sites” (“About Moodle,” n.d.), and is a free-open source environment. It offers functions like forums, chat, and wiki’s (“Features tour,” n.d.).
https://moodle.org/ 5
Lee (2009b and 2011); Ware & O’Dowd (2008); O’Dowd & Ritter (2006); Ritchie (2009);
Dooly & Sadler (2013)
MOOssiggang
“MOOssiggang is one of the world's first bilingual German- English MOOs. MOOs are powerful online learning environments that developed from some of the earliest gaming software available on the Internet”
(“MOOssiggang,” n.d.).
http://german.vassar.edu/projects/
moossiggang.html 2
Schneider & Von der Emde (2005); Kötter (2003)
Cyber-Vine Cyber-Vine is an online forum, that allows users to create
and comment on threads (Edasawa & Kabata, 2007). (No link available.) 1 Edasawa & Kabata (2007)
Facebook is a social networking website, which allows users to create a profile page and communities. Users can
communicate, both synchronously and asynchronously, and can share files, photographs and videos (“Facebook,” n.d.).
34 Blogger
Blogger is a weblog platform designed by Google, and can be used to share text, pictures and videos (“Blogger Features,” n.d.). It only supports asynchronous messages.
http://www.blogger.com 4
Lee (2009b and 2011);
Gephardt & Kostelníková (2012); Lee (2012);
Yang (2011)
Xanga
Xanga is a “blogging community”, (“Xanga,” (n.d.), so a social networking site which relies on synchronous messages – weblogs, or blogs – and allows users to share pictures and videos.
http://www.xanga.com 1 Yang (2011)
Pixnet Pixnet “serves as a social network website, online photo
gallery, and blog service provider” (“PIXNET,” n.d.). http://www.pixnet.net 1 Yang (2011)
MySpace
“MySpace is a popular social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos
internationally” (“Myspace,” n.d.).
https://myspace.com 1 Yang (2011)
MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger
“Windows Live Messenger (formerly named MSN
Messenger) is an instant messaging client” (“Windows Live Messenger,” n.d.). It supported both text-based and audio- visual synchronous communication, but has now been merged with Skype (“Messenger to Skype,” n.d.).
http://www.skype.com/en/downlo ad-skype/skype-for- computer/windows-live-
messenger/
5
Bower & Kawaguchi (2011); Pasfield-Neofitou (2006); Worajitipol (2010); Menard-Warwick (2009); Jin (2013)
C6
C6 is an “Italian Web-based chatline” (Tudini, 2007, p. 586), which supports text-based chat in real-time. However, “C6 has developed a ‘singles’ orientation since its use in [Tudini’s] study, Puntochat” (p. 597).
(No link available.) 1 Tudini (2007)
Skype
Skype allows users to “speak, see and instant message other people” (“About Skype,” n.d.), and to share files. Although the platform is still calles Skype, “[n]ow [it] is part of Microsoft” (“About Skype,” n.d.).
http://www.skype.com 6
Carney (2008); Brinckwirth (2012); Worajittipol (2010); Willms (2011); Dooly & Sadler (2013); Jin (2013)
Voicethread
“VoiceThread is a totally web-based application that allows you to place collections of media like images, videos, documents, and presentations at the center of an
asynchronous conversation” (Pennsylvania State University, n.d.).
http://voicethread.com 1 Dooly & Sadler (2013)
Adobe Connect
“Adobe® Connect™ is a web conferencing platform for web meetings, eLearning, and webinars [or online seminars]” (“Adobe Connect,” n.d.), and enables
http://www.adobe.com/uk/product
s/adobeconnect.html 3
Jauregi, De Graaff, Van den bergh & Kriz (2012);
35
multimodal communication. Jauregi & Bañados (2008)
Lyceum “[S]ynchronous audio-graphic conferencing software”
(Hauck, 2007, p. 203). (No link available.) 1 Hauck (2007) / Hauck & Youngs (2008)
PictureTel
PictureTel is software which facilitates “video conferencing” (Yee, Mitchell, Naka, Morozumi & Yamaguchi, 1998, para. 1.3).
(No link available.) 1 Yee, Mitchell, Naka, Morozumi & Yamaguchi (1998)
CUSeeMe
“CU-SeeMe is audio/video conferencing software that allows Internet users to connect one - to - one, many - to - many, or any combination” (Michigan State University College, n.d.).
(No link available.) 1 Yee, Mitchell, Naka, Morozumi & Yamaguchi (1998)
Audacity Audacity is “open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds” (“Audacity,” n.d.),
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?la
ng=en 1 Lee (2009b and 2011)
iMovie
iMovie is “program to create and edit movies” (Mead, 2012). It has a”an integrated [uploader, which] makes sure your creations go online instantly” (Mead, 2012).
1 Lee (2009b and 2011)
Second Life
Second life allows for audio communication, but does not enable visual contact. It allows users to create an avatar and walk around in a virtual 3D world (“What is Second Life?” n.d.).
http://secondlife.com 3
Canto, Jauregi & Van den Bergh (2013); Dooly & Sadler (2013);
Jauregi, Canto, De Graaf, Koenraad & Moonen (2011)
36 Naka, Morozumi & Yamaguchi, 1998). Both Adobe Connect and Voicethread can be used to
share files and have online meetings, but Voicethread was mentioned in only one project.
Although they do not support direct audio-visual contact between multiple users, software
like Audacity and iMovie can be used to create clips and share them. Both programs are used
in the same project (both studies describe the same project) (Lee, 2009a and 2009b).
Lastly, as is shown in the one study that relies on Second Life as its sole communication
environment (Jauregi, Canto, Graaff, Koenraad & Moonen, 2011).
In short, despite the fact that there are 16 different activities (see section 2.2.1., table 3)
mentioned in the studies, there are at least 22 platforms used. As a result, there is great variety
in the platforms used. Additionally, many projects that mention a specific tool have their own
platforms, as many of the environments mentioned are used only once.