Obviously I’m writing this from the perspective of a teacher, but I’m really keen to explore the benefits of what used to be known as the Flash Communication Server. I’ve always looked inquisitively at what could be done, but I’ve never really had the time or impetus to even begin experimenting with it. Flash Media Server, according to Adobe, offer: “…. the unique combination of traditional streaming media capabilities and a flexible development environment for creating and delivering innovative, interactive media applications to the broadest possible audience.”
Eh? I’ve long been confused about how it could be used, but I’ve always just had the feeling I was missing something or not understanding fully. I’ve developed lots of Flash based activities such as my Interactive Diagrams, Interactive Storyboards and games like Penalty Shootout. I’ve also been very keen to make much more of the ‘Communication’ aspect of ICT for students. All my activities, even though I say this myself, are really good when the student is using it themselves or with a group of students in class. Yet I would really like to enable collaboration while the activities are being used. Perhaps just multi-player games, but I’m more after the ability for students to log in and create their own collaborative mind-map.
On the excellent FlashComGuru.com website, this application already exists - and it is clear that the Flash Media Server is the way to get such things running. There is even an article about a closely related application on the Adobe site. This is also one of the fundamental parts of Breeze where students can collaborate on a virtual whiteboard during an online discussion.
Thing is, I’m concerned that I’m focusing on the application before actually looking at the educational uses. Thus I’m thinking this whiteboard application is great, how could I use it in the classroom. Instead I should be looking at what I want to do in the classroom and then, when appropriate, fit this to such an online activity.
I do feel that there is a great step forward for teachers to make though. We have the traditional teaching environment and we are adding extra fancy bits and pieces using ICT. Yet with applications powered by tools like FMS I’d suggest that everything becomes that much more powerful.
It literally could be a collaborative homework task - you set the students one week to work, then each logs on and leaves their own contribution. I’m still undecided though - am I just wasting time here? What do you think? The FMS is expensive to purchase for a school to host on their own, but purchasing some hosting with FMS (or as this link still says - Flash Com server) seems to be a viable option.
6 responses so far ↓
1 XiaoLei Shi // Jun 18, 2006 at 8:36 pm
This is my application using FlashCom, we are experimenting with past ideas and are currently looking for a novel method of encouraging learning:
http://interactive.rutgers.edu/Client.php?username=Guest_flashICT&id=valid_hash
(sessions at around 6-9pm EST MTW)
the whiteboard application actually doesn’t really require FlashCom but FlashCom allows for an incredibly simplistic way of delivering media information via Flash.
2 Andrew Field // Jun 18, 2006 at 8:43 pm
This looks really interesting - I followed the link but as it wasn’t at the times you mention I suspect this is why I couldn’t get much further.
Could you explain what this does? It looks great!
3 XiaoLei Shi // Jun 18, 2006 at 8:57 pm
my application is basically a “Breeze Lite” hence the name “Zephyr”…the application started as a bit of an joke since no one knew anything about FlashCom.
The application itself output two separates swfs, Client and Admin.
Admins start sessions in which the Clients can enter. There is a very rudimentary whiteboard, an audio/video feed, a text chat, a system of talking back to the admin (analgous to raising one’s hand in class), and a filesharing system (PHP based). Everything is archived. I’m also trying to cut down on component usage.
We’ve initially encounted more success than we can handle both software and hardware wise, due to initial curiosity. We are currently in the process of assessing what is meaningful to our userbase as well as planning certain social-aspects like ranking and user based meta-tagging of archived content. This has proven more difficult than we had initially anticipated.
4 daniele galiffa // Jun 19, 2006 at 11:28 am
Hello,
about using FMS for education, I can tell you we developed a new software ( http://www.friendlywork.it ) that focuses on teachers and students real needs.
You could also test it for free,
Have a nice time.
daniele
5 Andrew Field // Jun 24, 2006 at 7:56 am
This is all really interesting thank you. It would seem that the best educational uses are to extend Flash so applications can be shared across many different users. The whiteboard application seems very popular, but I’m not entirely convinced that many are going beyond just basic combined drawing and thought processes.
I would be really keen to develop some form of collaborative mind-mapping tool or something of real educational worth. This is interesting stuff that needs more focus.
6 daniele galiffa // Aug 2, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Hello,
thanks very much.
I agree with you about the use of whiteboards; they should have been designed to offer dedicated representation solutions.