Elluminate - April 7th

Participating in an Elluminate session was at first, an experience I eagerly anticipated. The idea of our class meeting in a virtual space in real time with the goal of learning (and experiencing) something new was exciting. The reality however, brought home to me the difficulties that can occur when a successful lesson relies on a group of students with varied technical experience and questionable maturity. It seems to me that for Elluminate sessions to be of value, the participants need to first be comfortable with how the program works and second, committed to the end goal of learning within a virtual environment. Teachers who want to employ this program in their classes should be aware of the potential for disruption should the students be unfamiliar with how best to take advantage of an Elluminate session. While the teacher does have some control over what students can and cannot do, if the students themselves are unaware of their limits and opportunities within Elluminate it can cause frustration and disinterest. Not unlike a video game, if one doesn't understand the rules about how to best win the game, there is little point in playing.