VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Which is the best tool to learn languages online?

Interactive virtual environments contribute to the education online enormously. They can be used in an educational environment to help teachers achieve their educational objectives.

Types of virtual environments that can be used in an educational context are:

 

• Emails

The email is the oldest, longest serving, basic and most used tool on the Internet. It allows exchanging messages between users via e-mail directions. It also allows to attach files of any types, programs, audio, video and images...

For more information please visit:

Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email

  
From the professional and educational viewpoint it allows communication between students and teacher. Students may hold hearings, submit work, ask questions, solve their doubts ...
Another important advantage is that teachers are not needed while connected. But they need to solve students' problems quickly and accurately or it may lose its validity in time. Since it may take time to answer a question about a work several days, students may not advance in their studies.

In most courses, the distance between teacher and student is reduced communicating by email.
It can also be used for communication between teachers and parents. If parents can not attend regular meetings at the center. The teacher can inform them about the student grades , ill behaviors, advances etc. 

• Chats
 

Chat online in real time between two or more people are a great tool however somewhat dominated by writing, even though one can nowadays also use voice and video if provided with the means, webcam, fast connections etc. The interaction is simultaneous and allows two possibilities:
- A central screen in which all players, students,workers etc can  interact online.
- As well as private conversations, where the teacher and one, two, three ...or more students communicate. This service is more personalized.

For more information please visit:

Wikipedia: http://wikipedia.org/Chat

From the professional and educational viewpoint it allows the teacher and students to communicate well. The disadvantage with respect to email is that they must be connected at the same time. Therefore, they must arrange appointments at a specified time. The advantage is that the students solve their doubts at the time. Students should prepare the session in advance. They should have prepared questions for the teacher to consult them on time life in the chat rooms.


• Forums/Newsgroups

Space in which people can  exchange information, opinions, files, if they are asked questions and answer or leave answers...
They can be based on a specific subject or not.
They may be free, open to the public or one may have to register to be able to speak. (Also see newsgroups)

For more information please visit:

Wikipedia: http://wikipedia.org/newsgroups

From the professional and educational viewpoint: The teacher can upload a text that can be reviewed by students. It also serves to organize group work, teamwork ,one can organize specialized newsgroups of people interested in the same subject s who want to be informed and updated about certain topics etc.

One can visit online life web pages such as newspapers and so on. The teacher can comment on a news story in class with students and they can access different forums about the newspapers, reviews different opinions and coments from other countries about that same  views or news item. Students may also contribute to this with their own  opinion. This allows them to learn different views on the same news.
Teachers can visit educational forums to share ideas, projects and relate well with other teachers to know what is done in other colleges etc.

• Blogs

 Web sites like this one that contains articles or texts chronologically from the creator and/or other authors. Generally, readers can post comments. They can be thematic, personal journalism, business or corporate, technological, educational ...

For more information please visit: http://wikipedia.org/Blog

From the professional and educational viewpoint: It is a very useful tool from the pedagogical point of view because they stay always active, it forces teachers and students to stay up to date and help them to find: clear objectives, targets aimed to a specific audience, to have useful content and to be constantly updated by all.
One can post announcements, documents, calendars, schedules, agendas, planning, interesting readings, papers, documentations, exercises, games, activities ... The teacher and students may find many new uses and elements to be incorporated

 

• Wikis

Web site in which collaborate many authors. Anyone may intervene by editing its content through a browser. In 1995 Ward Cunningham  created  the first wiki. Today the most important  one is the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.

For more information please visit: http://wikipedia.org/wiki/

From the professional and educational viewpoint this is great a tool to write,publish and share papers and work among students online.
- The teacher can correct them in their own wiki or even the students may enter to improve them
- Creation of educational materials (diagrams, exercises,spreadsheets  ...) all together in groups of people
- Use the publications between several colleges, with students from other countries all over the world.
- Upload videos, word documents, spreadsheets, surveys ... it offers many possibilities to complete works, papers and online home works and other jobs.
- It may be a personal space where each student is doing his own projects and may be evaluated and corrected by their teachers.

• Social networks / chats

Are places of social interaction. You can exchange information between people, groups, institutions ... Usually they incorporate chat, email and space to write on the personal page of each person, one can upload photos, share videos ... Currently many teachers and very many students use social networks  on a daily basis. It is a global yes worldwide phenomenon.

Wikipedia: http://wikipedia.org/socialnetwork

From the professional and educational viewpoint: There are many types of networks: dedicated  to culture, labour relations like LinkedIn, as well as Eduredes in educational networks, which show the use of teaching and the educational goals of social networks. Teachers can share their experiences, whether they are part of these educational networks or not.

• Map of the use of the most popular social networks Social networks commonly used in Europe: Facebook Social networks commonly used in Brazil: orkut: Social networks commonly used in Spain by students: tuenti     From the professional and educational viewpoint: There are many types of networks: dedicated  to culture, labour relations like LinkedIn, as well as Eduredes in educational networks, which show the use of teaching and the educational goals of social networks. Teachers can share their experiences, whether they are part of these educational networks or not.