I came across a software a little over 10 years ago that claimed to provide interaction with something called a verbot. The name came from a combination of “verbal” and “robot” and now has been moved from software that can provide user interaction to a web-based java model.
This software could be a powerful tool for educational interventions as common questions could be asked of a verbot and answered through text to speech processing and access of a customizable knowledge base. The knowledge bases verbots use are intuitive and require little to no programming ability to maintain. Virtually any instructor or instructional designer could easily create information access frameworks through the software and even customize the verbot appearance using various graphic design tools.
Initially, I have created the verbot as a test through this blog. Clicking on the “About” page will get you to the link for “Grannie, the Granite State College Receptionist.” Grannie could be incorporated into blackboard and used for student support in various ways. It is even possible to create multiple verbots for various purposes and design personalities for these virtual beings.
Verbots are powerful tools to reduce psychological distance in online courses. Additionally, they do not require excessive bandwidth to utilize as the interaction between user and software is text-based. The only potential bandwidth issue would be the speed at which the java screen could be reloaded by the user. While that deserves further testing, the implementation of this software may be a useful tool for some purposes here at GSC.
On another note, Thanksgiving is a great holiday for incorporating group learning activities into a curriculum. I liked this one from “Education World” online http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/webquest_orig/webquest_orig010.shtml
Happy Thanksgiving!
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