Cool Modes
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Definition
- Cool Modes is a toolkit that integrates microworlds with collaborative learning tools.
- “Cool Modes is a collaborative tool framework designed to support discussions and cooperative modelling processes in various domains. This is achieved through a shared workspace environment with synchronised visual representations. These representations together with their underlying semantics can be defined externally by plug-in visual languages and interpretation patterns, so-called "reference frames". These can differ considerably with respect to their underlying formal semantics (e.g. System Dynamics simulation vs. handwriting annotation) but yet be mixed and used synchronously in the framework. Please look into the "Cool Modes extensions" folder to download these reference frames.” (Collide - Downloads Page, 16:44, 23 July 2006 (MEST)~)
See CSCL, CSCL script, collaborative learning and learning activity space for the general framework and the similar Freestyler software from the same group geared towards modeling.
Software
- Cool Modes is free, but you have to register at Collide)
- Hint: Take the full professional edition
- Needs JRE 1.4+ (Java)
- Cool Modes is working software that is being used in some schools.
Links
- Collide home page, includes articles, downloads, a forum, etc.
References
(Many more articles available through the Collide site)
- Lars Bollen, H. Ulrich Hoppe, Marcelo Milrad, Niels Pinkwart (2002). Collaborative Modelling in Group Learning Environments. In Pal I. Davidsen, Edoardo Mollona, Vedat G. Diker, Robin S. Langer & Jennifer I. Rowe (eds), Proceedings of the XX International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Palermo (Italy), July 2002, pp. 53. http://www.collide.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=publications&file=index&req=getit&lid=46