Google+Wave+Implementation

toc =Limitations of Google Wave = While Google wave has clear uses as a tool, we need to also consider the obvious limitations it currently has. In it's current form, it is still a preveiw and not a final ready-to-market version. It's creators have launched it early in order to work out bugs and changes required to maximise the functionality of wave. It has also given external developers a chance to build additional applications and gadgets to use in conjunction with the wave. While some of the following points may come to be rectified in the final version of Wave, other points are concerned with shifts of the skills and attitudes of users. = = =Making Wave work as an Educational T ool= There are many pitfalls to avoid when implementing Wave within education. This technology does not neccesarily sit well with the traditional paradigm of student-teacher interaction. The viewpoint of "student as knowledge absorber" and "teacher as knowledge giver" paradigm may be difficult to overcome within groups and individuals. Collaboration places the emphasis on students as knowledge creators. This is a change in perspective that teachers students, parents, and administrators may have difficulty coming to terms with. The traditional way of completing assignments and being graded on individual input to the assignment is also challenged with wave, as has been highlighted by personal experience and the experiences of users world-wide. Participants may be reluctant to do the following tasks: To overcome and mitigate these issues, some summary reccommendations from the authors follow which will hopefully allow educators to make the most of wave as a collaborative learning tool.
 * Current bugs in system - There needs to be a smooth service before implementing into schools so as not to alienate students, and teachers who may be reluctant to change as it is.
 * Google Wave requires a certain level of internet access. While there has been a marked increase in the numbers of students with broadband at home, there is still a percentage of students at a highschool level who may miss out on the opportunities provided here. Schools are also fairly stretched in terms of numbers of computer labs available for in-class "waving", and the amount of data usage that would be incurred may increase costs significantly.
 * It is not as simple as creating an activity to complete using Wave, there is pre-learning that needs to be done before it can be used as a whole-class activity. This is a very new tool, and while our Digital Native students are used to conversing via the internet, they are generally more comfortable handing in an individual finished piece of work, than sharing their intimate thought processes and collaborating on an assignment.
 * As with any learning tool, some students may not find the wave conducive to their personal learning style.
 * Wave as it stands does not allow much control of access to waves or wavelets. There is currently no set of graduated permissions to allow differing levels of access. Once someone has been invited to participate in a wave, they will always have access to it, and can edit any part of it. Everyone can edit and comment on everything.
 * There is no revisioning system to rollback a wave or capture versions. There is no permanent hiding of replies.
 * Wave is too slow to act as a chat client, and when a number of users try to post simultaneously it could get very confusing.
 * When someone has updated a wave you have no way of knowing without going into the wave itself. Needs an RSS feed.
 * Some commentators  state that wave is unstable when multiple users are on at the same time.
 * Submit un-finished work to a public forum,
 * Edit, or add-to another's work,
 * Trust that the other participants will complete work on time and to standard (this may cause participants to "take over" or alternately "sit back")
 * Make sure your Technology is up to the task. At the very least a decent web connection is required otherwise the wave experience could be frustrating. If wave is to be used en masse it may be advisable to have a server for Google Wave and a technical person to administer it. Google Wave works best with alternative browsers such as firefox, google chrome. It will run on Internet Explorer 7 and above, but does require a special version of flash player 10 and google chrome frame to run properly.
 * Clearly define the goal of the wave, and moderate it (or assign a moderator) properly. Ensure everyone understands and adheres to the goal. Waves work best as a forum to achieve a particular goal (such as document creation, information sharing, etc) rather than general discussion of an issue.
 * Keep the number of users down to something manageable. The consensus seems to be that Wave will work best for small groups when collaborating on projects. Numbers between 5-15 people seems to be reccommended at this early stage. This may depend on the type and purpose of each wave however. As with any group activity, educators will need to set up the activity to best facilitate the learning needs of their particluar students.
 * Assessment will need to be designed for the wave, to encourage thoughtful participation and deep learning rather than mere regurgitation of knowledge. While the wave strongly promotes the values and Key Competencies outlined in the NZC such as community and participation, using language, symbols, and text, and thinking, many internal assessments practices are still based around traditional knowledge recall and basic understanding of content. The use of wave may facilitate a change in paradigm for traditional assessment practices.
 * Train users in web 2.0 tools and google wave functionality before letting them loose. Try some of the following activities to get them used to using wave:
 * **//Critical Analysis of Public Waves//** - Select some sample public waves for students to consider critically. Give students a standard reflection sheet/form (you could include a google docs form in a wave for students to complete). Have them reflect on each wave in terms of usability, goal achivement, and rules and procedures. Once students are familiar with using wave, complete the ground-rule setting activity as below.
 * **//Set Class Ground Rules//** - Have students set rules/norms for the class wave. This way they have ownership of the ground rules, and the wave. As a guide, ground rules will need to be set around:
 * Adding or deleting gadgets/bots
 * Adding or deleting tags/titles
 * Adding other people or bots to the wave
 * Editing others discussion blips - Spelling? Grammar? Adding to or deleting?
 * Editing the collaborative document - Spelling? Grammar? Adding to or deleting?
 * Editing your own discussions after posting.
 * How best to replying to ideas/thoughts eg within the content or at end?
 * What will happen to off-topic posts?
 * Deleting others or your own blips
 * Use of language and/or personal comments public vs private
 * Rules and copyright.