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The Future of Virtual Classroom: Using Existing Features to Move Beyond Traditional Classroom Limitations

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Interactive Mobile Communication Technologies and Learning (IMCL 2017)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 725))

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Abstract

This paper argues that the true potential of virtual classrooms in education is not fully exploited yet. The features available in most environments that have been incorporated as virtual classrooms are classified into two groups. The first group includes common features, related only to the emulation of a traditional classroom. In this group, the practical differences between traditional and virtual classroom are discussed. In addition, best practices that could aid the professors to make students feel like participating in a typical classroom are presented. The second group comprises of advanced features and practices, which extend the traditional classroom. In this group, examples of successful practices which could not be performed in a traditional classroom are introduced. Finally, a qualitative study with interviews of 21 experts from 15 countries is presented, showing that even these experts are not fully exploiting the advanced features that contemporary virtual classroom environments are offering.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Engineering and Informatics Department, University of Patras, Patras, Greece

    Michalis Xenos

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  1. Michalis Xenos
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Correspondence to Michalis Xenos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach, Austria

    Michael E. Auer

  2. Department of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos

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Xenos, M. (2018). The Future of Virtual Classroom: Using Existing Features to Move Beyond Traditional Classroom Limitations. In: Auer, M., Tsiatsos, T. (eds) Interactive Mobile Communication Technologies and Learning. IMCL 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 725. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75175-7_92

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75175-7_92

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75174-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75175-7

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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