The Biblio File

Jenny Levine at The Shifted Librarian has posted about her experience with ThinkeringSpaces, a beta version of a portable, scalable, learning/teaching/interactive space to be used in libraries. Some of the things they have incorporated so far is using RFID technology to let users add information to library resources, using Wii video game technology to allow users to manipulate library content in different ways, projectors and screens for content display, and a self-contained LAN.

The point is to bring spaces into libraries that let people collaborate around the content that already exists in in our buildings, add new content to the mix, mash it all up to create something new, and share it with the community. Rinse. Repeat. It’s a way to connect people with the physical world and help them make sense of it by interacting with and changing it.

I think something like this would work fabulously to add an interactive aspect to library displays, or to highlight different library resources, or, even better, librarians could work in conjunction with a professor to have such an installation combine course material and library resources to create a different, more interactive learning space.

Kate at infodoodads reported on an applet that lets you highlight a portion of a web page, and then save or send those highlights. There is an online version, a bookmark version, and a Firefox Extension version. I downloaded the Firefox extension, and here is the link to Kate’s post, with my highlights:

http://awurl.com/rrnrpl75406

Campus Technology has a post on Wimba Pronto, a chat tool designed for the classroom:

Wimba Pronto provides live online communications for students and instructors. Some of its features include:

* Audio and video conferencing capabilities, including a “follow the speaker” audio feature;
* Desktop application sharing;
* Support for queuing for individualized help; and
* Automatic population of contact lists based on courses.

It also “seamlessly integrates” with Blackboard and Moodle, according to their website. It’s still in the pilot phase and no word on when it will be available in Alpha form. But it sounds like it could have a lot to offer residential and distance students.

Infodoodads has a post on BrainReaction, a site that allows you to post a question for which you are looking for ideas and solicit suggestions from, well, anyone. I can see this being used in a class, either by a professor as a way of continuing a discussion outside of class, or for students (especially distance students) to use to work on a group project. Of course, that type of collaboration might be better done through other technologies (such as forums or IM) but the possibilities are interesting. Especially if you are curious about what others outside of your group might thing. (Private brainstorms are available, but for a fee)