Wireless collaboration infects the class
Over the Summer, the number of iBooks equipped with wireless capabilities and a copy of SubEthaEdit (the editor formerly known as Hydra) has risen to five in my class. Another two have committed to join our ranks before October and, by their drooling looks and interested questions, I gauge three to five more will do the same before we graduate next Summer.
SubEthaEdit has been a key facilitator for this transition. It allows the five (and counting) of us to collaborate on the note-taking process and to discuss the lecture as it happens in a non-intrusive manner. The final set of notes is stronger and everyone gets increased intimacy with the material.
As we sit spread across the auditorium, this phenomenon infects anyone sitting next to one of our participants. And it sure do look impressive as two people are capturing the professors talk while a third is cleaning any mistakes in the making and a fourth is posing a question.
But the in-class implications are only part of the SubEthaEdit success story. Groups where all members have made the switch, such as the one I'm in, experience a wealth of benefits. A reduced need for face time is the most apparent as almost any discussion or assignment can be handled through the combination of SubEthaEdit and voice-over-iChat. Easier sharing of large projects without versioning woes is another.
We'll go even further later this week as we try to add live broadcasting of the lectures through a combination of the iSight and Quicktime Broadcaster. I certainly wouldn't mind to be able to follow morning lectures from the comfort of a robe in my home. A broadcasting responsibility that cycles amongst the capable could make this very real, very soon.
