arborio.com: projects

Good Learning on the Web, or GLOW, was a project which involved online collaboration in the development of writing projects by primary and secondary students, and also university students gaining experience and skills required for classroom teaching.The project involved online collaboration between primary age groups, primary-secondary groups, and university-secondary groups. Working on primarily text-based assignments, groups engaged in online production of argumentative pieces, reflective work, and newspaper style articles, with peer reflection and critique, drafting, and formal editing integral to the production of work submitted for assessment.

Utilising browser based BSCW collaborative workspace software, the project enabled full online collaboration between various groups of students having access to the web but limited by available resources, and minimal training in use of software, web browsers, etc. The project served as a context for students to learn such skills.

Over a period of four years, the level of ‘web skills’ which students of all ages have brought to the project increased noticeably. This enabled an ongoing development of the project, and the introduction of student-driven elements. One particular innovation embraced by GLOW saw a rural teacher on extended home confinement continue to work with students through extensive use of collaborative workspaces.

The project was the basis of several published articles and the subject of a Masters degree.

Yachtshare Australia

A sales site, with resources for the ocean racing/cruising communities.Yachtshare Australia was absorbed by Webster Marine in 2003

social-entrepreneur.net

A major project funded by the Brotherhood of St.Laurence, BP Australia and Swinburne University, providing a web-based collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs. In collaboration with the World Economic Forum and Fr. Nic Frances.

RICE

The Research in Computers in Education group maintained a server out of the Faculty of Education at Deakin University for several years, and pioneered the use of and promotion of learning technologies in classrooms across Australia.

Netucator

Netucator, a division of Tutornet, Inc., utilises a java application, or ‘applet,’ to enable online collaboration between qualified teachers and students who subscribe to the service. In the US, and initially in England, the service has been used to provide ‘homework’ and study environments for post-primary students. Arborio.com was involved in consultations related to establishing Tutornet operations in the Asia-Pacific region, implementing and managing online training of teachers and trainers in the use of the platform, and the development of pedagogy related to the use of the platform for training purposes, as well as online tutoring for HSC/VCE students. Consideration of application of the concept in commercial and industrial training contexts was also undertaken.