Platforms for Delivery of Collaborative Tasks

Abstract

Prior to the inception of the ATC21S^TM project, no single platform existed for the implementation of human-to-human internet interactive tasks. (The acronym ATC21S^TM has been globally trademarked. For purposes of simplicity the acronym is presented throughout the chapter as ATC21S.) Given the global goals of the project, the assessment tasks and the professional development materials for administration and teaching interventions were constructed on several platforms. The characteristics and capacities, and the advantages and disadvantages, of these platforms are described in this chapter. The mathematics-based collaborative tasks were developed on a Hong Kong-based platform and migrated to the online testing framework of the Assessment Research Centre (ARCOTS) at the University of Melbourne. The reasoning-based tasks were developed directly on this platform. Another platform (FADS) was used for the development of the Learning in Digital Networks or ICT (LDN-ICT) tasks. An attempt was made to modify a serious game product but the platform requirements of the developer (Pixelearning) led to this attempt being abandoned. Issues such as automating assignment of login codes, report generation, and real-time synchrony are discussed in detail in this chapter. The chapter highlights factors that discriminate between the maintenance and management of a local system of assessment and teaching materials and the issues that need to be considered when maintaining and managing such a system on a global scale.