Using geo-collaboration and microblogging to support learning: Identifying problems and opportunities for technological business

Abstract

Many services are nowadays offering the use of a ("Cloud") which allows large groups of people to interact with one another in different ways by means of sharing textual information, to collaboratively constructing complex information objects using text, images, maps, and other multimedia information. Current literature reports a number of works where these services have been used to support collaborative learning. The reliability, scalability and ubiquity are the characteristics that make these services especially convenient in supporting large group collaborative learning activities that require computer support in various settings, in and outside the classroom. In this work we first analyze the use of Google Maps for supporting a learning activity in an urban environment, concluding that some important features are missing. We then propose an approach for taking advantage of cloud computing services for learning activities by integrating different services in a new application. We conclude that this approach may be used for further developing applications supporting large group learning activities. © Springer-Verlag 2013.