FAQ's

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

     What do virtual environments do that a MOO, or Elluminate, Adobe Meeting, Wimba, BlackBoard, or some other space that brings students, tutors, and instructors together doesn't do?
We might be able to identify the advantages of virtual environments is focusing on what we like about our face-to-face sessions, face-to-face classroom settings, or face-to-face meetings.
I propose that we answer them by asking ourselves a few more questions.

1)      Why do we believe face-to-face sessions work?

     We might argue that face-to-face sessions work because we can build a rapport, a community, a relationship, between the student, and the tutor or instructor. How do we build this? Perhaps we build this through the environment, the way our center, office, or classrooms are set up. Maybe this building is augmented by talking to the student, sitting next to the student, communicating through body language and tone of voice with the student, or maybe even empathizing with the student.
     Another reason we might put forward supporting why face-to-face sessions often work is that we can collaborate with the student. We can talk to the student about his or her writing or other work, we can identify challenges the student is having, and we can help the student work through them. Essentially, we can follow a general pedagogy that we believe in.

2)      What is the purpose of an online tutoring center, classroom, or meeting space?

It might be argued that we want to provide an online tutoring service, classroom environment, or meeting space to meet the needs of our distance learning students, or perhaps simply meet the needs of those students who need to meet with us in an alternative fashion.

3)      Does the online tutoring session, classroom teaching session, or meeting need to have the same or similar elements as the face-to-face session in order to be successful?

I think most of us would argue that we feel asynchronous online methods of tutoring, teaching, or meeting, by email or Blackboard for example, are not as successful as face-to-face because they lack most of the basic elements that we identified as making face-to-face sessions work.

4)      What elements must we have to make the online session be similarly successful as face-to-face sessions?

     We already identified building a rapport, community, and/or relationship between the writer and the tutor, the student and the teacher, etc. as essential for successful sessions. Looking at the individual elements might add to our understanding.
Environment, the way our center, classroom, or meeting space is set up: While tutoring centers, classroom, and meeting spaces might be able to be represented as two dimensional spaces in a MOO, these spaces in virtual environments can be whatever you want them to be. It can be the room that you can?t have on campus due to space or funding, or it can be an identical environment as you have on campus. Additionally, you can have your tutoring center, classroom, or meeting space on the beach in beach chairs, in the sky on clouds, or in the forest around a campfire. You are only limited by your imagination.
     The one difference from the MOO, Elluminate, Adobe Meeting, BlackBoard, or something similar is that like your face-to-face environment, the virtual environment is dimensional, and you are not limited to the space you have built. Many islands have been created by users like you. If a student is having trouble with a research paper on the Holocaust, the tutor and student can teleport to the Holocaust Museum. Teachers who want to discuss how hurricanes are formed can teleport with their students to NOAH's island and ride in the middle of a hurricane. These are things that cannot be duplicated in a MOO, Elluminate, Adobe Meeting, Wimba, BlackBoard, or any other platform.
     Talking to the student and Tone of voice: A tutoring center, classroom, or meeting space in a MOO, in Elluminate, Adobe Meeting, BlackBoard, etc. can allow for synchronous discussion. Most of these programs allow for oral discussion and/or written chat. Tutors and teachers in virtual environments can also have synchronous discussions, both oral and/or written. They can also be private or open. Students can only be heard if they want to be heard. If they want to be part of a larger discussion, they can choose to speak in open chat; if they prefer to be part of a private discussion, they can speak in private chat.
     Sitting next to the student: As with tutoring centers, office space, and classrooms on-campus, students and tutors can choose the seat they want to sit in; they can decide where they put their chairs; they can sit with their legs underneath them if that makes them more comfortable.
     Communicating through body language: Unlike MOOs, Adobe Meeting, Wimba, Elluminate, or BlackBoard, in virtual environments, individuals are represented by avatars. In virtual environments, an avatar can be edited to look however the owner would like it to look. There are a number of articles referring to avatars and the personal relationship owners have with them. Some avatars look very similar to their owners; others look very different. The avatar is a visual representation of the person (in one way or another). While Elluminate and Wimba both allow for video representations of the individual, virtual environments allow individuals to create representations of themselves that they are comfortable with. Some students (and even professors and tutors) are having bad hair days, or have chosen to work on their papers rather than clean their living quarters; video conferencing captures all of these moments.
     Empathizing with the student:  We might argue that tutors and instructors can empathize with students in face-to-face sessions through discussion. Some might say that this is improved when the student identifies the tutor  or instructor as approachable.  Unlike MOOs, Adobe Meeting, Elluminate, or BlackBoard, avatars in the virtual environments Writing Center can look similar to the student, or they can look very different. They can dress similarly, they look like they are in the same age range, and they can share new knowledge about their virtual world. I'm not suggesting that instructors, tutors and students in the other applications can't share new knowledge about their virtual world, but I am saying that this is a great plus when it comes to empathizing with students.
     Collaborating with the student: virtual environments, just as the other programs, allows for collaborative work on papers.  Videos, whiteboards, and similar tools are available for drawing, writing, and other sharing applications. The paper, examples, math problems, etc. can be viewed and edited by all users.
     Follow a general pedagogy: virtual environments, just as the other programs, allows for the user to follow individually identified protocols. Additionally, virtual environments allow for handouts, guides, policies, etc. to be available for students and tutors just as they would be in face-to-face environments. In addition, videos can also be presented.

5)      What are the advantages of all that work and time?

     The answer here has to do with the work and time invested.
As with any program, using virtual environments will require initial training. While virtual environments do not provide this training, generally it is an on-the-job training process, there are other options. Educational Support Management Group is a third party service provider that will provide this training and continuous support to tutoring center directors, their tutors, teachers, etc.
     Building the tutoring center, classroom, or meeting space in virtual environments would normally take a lot of time and effort, or a builder can be hired to complete the project. virtual environments does not provide training for this; again, it is an on-the-job training process. Again, I return to the idea that this is not something a tutoring center director or classroom instructor must do. Educational Support Management Group can build the space to the director or instructor's specifications.
Therefore, I ask, how much work and time has really been invested?

6)      What is the distinct advantage of virtual environments over other collaborative programs?

     Other than the visual representation, there is one very distinct advantage that virtual environments have over other programs. That distinct advantage is price.
     Virtual environment are free for visitors. However, having a virtual space does require a one-time fee and then a monthly maintenance fee. virtual environments also require hands on learning. In addition, there is a steep learning curve to understanding advanced techniques such as building and security. In reality, tutoring centers, classrooms, and meeting spaces won?t use a whole island, and they don't need to invest time and money in building an environment. There is a second option. They can use a third party service provider.
     This is going to sound like a sales pitch, and in some ways it is. However, I encourage you to do a Google search and seek out other third party providers that can help with this type of support.
     Educational Support Management Group can provide a tutoring center director, teacher, or a designee, with the initial training. They will provide a space, security (so that only the tutor, instructor and the student(s) will be in the session), on-going computer support, and they will keep up with the latest advancements in the program.

7)      But Skype, Google Chat, and some other programs are free. Many can accommodate up to 20 students in a conference, and some are superb tools for online tutoring sessions that replicate face-to-face sessions. In addition, the learning curve is definitely flatter than that of virtual environments. What is the advantage of using virtual environments and ESMG's services over them?
     You're right, Google Chat, Skype and the other programs you are referring to are free and do have a small learning curve compared to virtual environments advanced techniques.

     Perhaps the real difference regarding Google Chat, Skype, and the other free programs has to do with 3-dimensional environment and personal representation via an avatar. None of these programs offer that, and if these things are important, then you may need to consider an option other than the free programs. The learning curve for basic use of ESMG's service in virtual environments in relatively short.  It is the advanced techniques, something not provided in Google Chat, Skype or other free programs that have a steep learning curve. The environment you need can accommodate the number of students you have; however, you will only pay for what you need.

     However, if your budget is tight, then by all means, I recommend that you use one of the free programs, including Google Chat, Skype, etc. These are synchronous programs, and some allow for collaborative/simultaneous work on the document in a shared window.