McCracken, H. (2010) Google axes Wave PC World, August 4
Google’s Urs Hölzle has blogged that the company is ceasing development on Wave.
Several analysts have struggled to explain exactly what Google Wave is, and I’m not going to try, other than to say it was a collection of tools out in the cloud on external servers. If any of you have been using Wave for e-learning, let me know how, and what you think about its demise.
For a good account of the issues see:
Kolowich, S. (2010) Washed Up Inside Higher Education, August 6
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
I am currently attending the 26th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning in Madison, WI. Google Wave has been much promoted. It is so ironic that while I was Wednesday afternoon in a 3-hour workshop demonstrating how to use Google Wave in distance learning courses, Google announced it would cease development. Well, there was much enthusiasm in that workshop. However, there were concerns about it as well (particularly with how users could edit other people’s blips (comments), deleted stuff never really gets deleted). I am not surprised but I think the development of a robust collaborative tool is on the right track.
Creo que es una mala noticia. Quizás no sea una herramienta perfecta, pero no hay alternativas para quienes quieren tener todo en un único espacio de colaboración en tiempo real (tal vez socialwok en un futuro).
Por ejemplo, resultaba muy útil para facilitar el aprendizaje informal en centros de salud donde cada médico trabaja de manera individual en espacios aislados. Mediante G. Wave se facilitaba la comunicación, la colaboración en tiempo real y con ello el aprendizaje informal y la mejora del servicio sanitario.
I think that is bad news. Perhaps not a perfect tool, but there is no alternative for those who want to have everything in one area of real-time collaboration.
For example, it was very useful to facilitate informal learning in health centers where each doctor works individually in a separate space. G. Wave facilitated communication, real-time collaboration and informal learning with it and improving the health service.