The online interface includes features that allow users to upload and share multimedia files, including videos, photos, Web links, and group polling data. An added feature lets Twitter users access the conversation and contribute “tweets,” or short comments, that they’ve posted on the microblogging site Twitter. Late participants can also instantly replay a conversation after it has ended. To set up a conversation, a group moderator must register and create the forum space; then anyone can join without having to register for the service.
Lab Write is a resource that science teachers can use to enhance in-class lab assignments. The site, which is a project developed by North Carolina State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, trains students to think like scientists. The site’s layout takes a step-by-step approach to lab projects, prompting students to think critically before, during, and after the assignment. While the teacher is busy overseeing the class or working with small groups, Lab Write gives students individualized attention through activities that require their own observations and analyses. Each exercise can be completed by students either as a printed handout or through a Web-based tutor application.
—Tim Ebner
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