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Social computing itself is essentially the application of computer technology to facilitate collaboration and working in groups. The strategies and tools used in social computing enable rich, efficient communication at a distance, synchronously or asynchronously, opening up new possibilities for working together. The tools themselves are not the focus; the interactions supported by those tools are what is most interesting. The tools are influencing the trend, however. As social computing tools become increasingly easier to obtain and use, and as more and more people adopt them, social computing interactions are transferring from the world at large into the world of education. Students, already familiar with tools for working together and sharing knowledge and information (think of Flickr, an online community for sharing photographs; instant messenger, for getting quick answers to questions and arranging get-togethers; Skype, for inexpensive voice-over-IP conversations in realtime), are bringing these tools to campus and continuing to integrate them into their pattern of daily life and work.
Relevance for Teaching, Learning & Creative Expression
- allows faculty to engage in on-line discussions about pedagogical or research issues
- facilitates collaborative writing and research among students
- extends the discussion outside of the space and time of the physical classroom
- opens opportunities for creative presentation of research materials or points of debate
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