For those who enjoy using Skype, the new beta 4.1 for Windows will include a screen-sharing feature — allowing users to share their desktop screen with any contact.

Skype 4.1 beta screen capture

Although there are other tools that can be used for collaboration and screen sharing, the combination of these features with an already-popular free voice/video chat service might make this a useful tool for small group work or instructor/student feedback.

Say, for example, you have a stack of research papers to grade. Rather than using track change bubbles to write every comment on a student’s paper, and/or following up with pre-recorded audio feedback, you can make abbreviated marks on the document and schedule an appointment to “meet” with the student via Skype. Once you’ve shared the file on your screen with the student, you can explain all your comments and answer any questions.

This might not necessarily shorten the amount of time you would put into grading each assignment, but if you arrange one-on-one chat sessions with each of your students anyway this could kill two birds with one stone.

Skype 4.1

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 7:57 am and is filed under Course Activities, Time Management, Web Tools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.