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PRODUCT REVIEW
Distance learning with LearningSpace
By David Mann
Distance learning, remote learning, on-line study, or whatever they're calling it these days aims to facilitate training by serving up a collection of instructional materials and media over the Internet. This approach promises students flexible hours in a collaborative setting that meets, and, in some cases, exceeds the results attained in traditional brick and mortar classrooms. A quick search from your favorite Web portal will likely yield a healthy number of hits containing products playing in this space. Lotus Development's contribution to this new world of teaching is called LearningSpace Anytime 3.0.
My company recently decided we'd offer a course over the Internet. Our choice to use LearningSpace Anytime 3.0 was largely based on the fact that we're a Premium Lotus Business partner, and so are very familiar with Lotus technologies. That aside, it seemed like a perfect fit to me. Collaboration and delivery of digital material over the Web are two of the things that Lotus Notes and Domino do best, right?
During this review, I'll recount my experience with LearningSpace. I'll cover the things that I really appreciated as a seasoned Lotus Notes developer, as well as the things that made me want to drop kick my monitor.
The products
LearningSpace consists of two different products, Forum and Live.
Forum
LearningSpace Forum offers asynchronous collaborative learning. In other words, it offers Web-enabled Lotus Notes databases serving up on-line assignments, document libraries, and threaded discussions. This type of learning relies little on direct instructor involvement. In this mode, the instructor is more of an orchestrator and facilitator, setting the direction, seeding discussions, and grading assignments and tests. Asynchronous learning allows students to work at their own pace as well as work within teams to tackle the material. Theoretically, the more the student is involved this way, the more deeply he'll understand the material.
Live
The other face of LearningSpace is real-time or synchronous. LearningSpace Live is built on top of Lotus SameTime technology. SameTime is a family of products released back in January of 1999 that allows organizations to share and collaborate on documents in real-time, as well as immediately find and converse with colleagues and partners worldwide using a Web browser and a T.120-based client such as Net Meeting.
The tools available in LearningSpace Live allow an instructor to manage the content and pace in real-time on top of a Java applet visible to both students and the instructor through a Web browser or Lotus Notes client. These tools make it possible to share applications, pose questions, and collect answers, chat in real-time, and optionally conduct a video-conference. This side of the product rounds out the offering.
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