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The Future of Real Time Communications in Online Learning
Abstract
Videoconference has been used for real time communications in distance learning for many years and in recent years many institutions have used it in conjunction with the text-based communications tools in Learning Management Systems. Video Chat is a new technology. Consisting of cheap technology and often free software it is likely that Video Chat will displace videoconference from its place in the market. The Access Grid is also gaining use in education as a teaching tool due to the richness of the experience of multiple video streams, and additional tools that allow true collaboration. In a world where bandwidth is steadily increasing, it is no surprise that the trend of the content on the Web is from text-rich to media-rich. The rise of video sharing sites such as YouTube, Google video and video blogs point to this tend. Clearly Learning Management Systems manufacturers must be feeling the need to include media-rich content and communications to facilitate a range of new and different activities such as role plays, debates and when combined with sharable applications true productive collaboration. A possible picture of the future of online learning will also see teachers and students creating media-rich learning objects that can be placed in repositories and hence be available for re-use.
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