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Downloadable Software for Mentoring


AOL Instant Messenger

In order to chat with learners and mentors online, eLearningspace uses America Online’s Instant Messanger (AOL IM). You can obtain a copy of AOL IM by visiting America Online (http://aim.aol.com) or by following the link we have provided, below to our own archived version of the software.Download AOL IM now!

Download AOL IM now!

Tutorial on AOL IM.

Microsoft NetMeeting

More sophisticated audio/video conferencing is available if you download Microsoft NetMeeting from Microsoft’s site at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting/default.asp

A typical NetMeeting session is shown to the left. Participants can see each other and speak (via a microphone and speakers). A lowcost Webcam (available for as little as $40 retail) is adequate, but you can also get by with just a microphone and speakers, or a headset, if you can get by without seeing the person your talking to. NetMeeting also has a text chat facility, just like AOL IM, in case you don’t have any multimedia equipment, or in case one of the multimedia components is not working.


Atomica

 http://www.atomica.com

 

Coming Soon! Lingua MOO

We have not yet created the eLs Lingua MOO.  So, currently we demo the original one. A MOO is a "place." It is often constructed like a building and can have courtyards and other places that imitate a school setting.

There are tools in each room to show slides, to visit web pages, etc.

  1. Click on link -- http://lingua.utdallas.edu.
  2. Choose "Login" on the left frame.
  3. Leave your identity as "Guest".
  4. Most common command: say for example, say hello.
  5. To see where you are type “look”.
  6. To move, use "go".
  7. Type help for general instructions
  8. Type help movement for help about moving around

Notice, that the visual appearance of where you are is shown in the right side. The Lingua MOO has combined both the features of immediate chat and web-based graphics. This is the reason we have chosen it for eLs.

Mentor-Matcher

Mentor-Matcher is under construction.  In eLearning Tracker there  is a button that asks eLearningspace to locate the most appropriate online Mentor for the current material that the learner is viewing on the web. Using a feature sometimes found on web site searchs - "find similar" - use this feature to match up Mentors with the current learning needs.

A special agent sits between the AOL Instant Messager client of the learner and the AOL IM client of the mentor, and begins the chat session.  The Mentor has already been provided with the web page the Learner is viewing, so the Mentor knows the "context" of the Learner's questions.

 

Mentoring Tools

Instant Messenging -- between two people

IRC Chat -- for more than two people, by topic, with whiteboard and 2 way audioLingua MOO -- for two or more people, with rooms and topics, many  resources.

Netmeeting -- for two or more people, whiteboard, application  sharing and 2 way audio/video
Mentor-Matcher -- use of Instant Messaging connecting Mentors to Learners

Part I
AOL
Instant Messenger (IM) -- http://aim.aol.com
To remove ads from IM -- download

Download Dead.exe
Installation of DeadAIM.exe:

1. Start, Find, File AIM.EXE
2. Place Dead.exe in the same folder as AIM.EXE
3. Run, Browse, select Dead.exe
4. Right mouse click on desktop, create shortcut, Browse, select DeadAIM.exe, finish  Use the

DeadAIM shortcut instead of the AOL shortcut to avoid ads.

Part II
IRC Chat Client

  1. Visual IRC, download from http://www.elearningspace.org/vIRC.exe
  2. Place vIRC.exe in "temp" directory
  3. Run, Browse, to temp directory, select vIRC.exe
  4. Run, Browse, to temp directory, select SETUP.EXE
  5. Right mouse click on desktop, create shortcut, C:\VIRCBETA\VIRC.EXE, finish
  6. Double-Click new vIRC icon
  7. In setup, enter IRC server as: 204.141.112.102
  8. Leave port set to 6667
  9. Application will quit
  10. Restart vIRC
  11. Read IRCPRIME.TXT
  12. Consult vIRC Help index.



There are currently 4 chat "channels" for eLs:
1. Science_Room_A -- topic is "Plants"
2. Science_Room_B -- topic is "Astronomy"
3. Math_Room_A   -- topic is "Arithmetic"
4. Math_Room_B   -- topic is "Geometry"

Quick Instructions:

1. Double-click vIRC icon
2. Click on "hand holding papers" icon
3. Click on "Select from List"
4. This will display the four mentoring sessions
5. Click on the one you want to join
6. Anything you type in the text box gets "said" to the group

Part III

Part IV
Netmeeting

1. Click on http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting
2. Download the appropriate client
3. Install per the instructions at Microsoft