Synchronous textual interaction in a virtual classroom: beyond chat

摘要

This paper explains the limits of traditional chatting when it is used for didactic aims and shows how they are overcome in an on-line didactic cooperation environment developed in collaboration between the INstitute for Educational Technology of Palermo and the Department of Computer science of Pisa. In our environment new kinds of interaction are supported by means of protocol methods allowing the management of organization and visualization of dialogues according to the educational needs of teachers and students.