I found this tool in Bamboo DiRT under the category Communicate with Colleagues. Piazza is an open-source web-based discussion tool that works like a chat room. Here’s the link: https://piazza.com/
It’s promoted as a more efficient way to engage in classroom Q&A but I can also see its value in managing the communication of any group that is working together and engaged in dialog. One big advantage over a Course Management System is that users can post anonymously to the discussion and there is less hierarchy than in a CMS. Here’s an article about it in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Some potential uses:
- a way for all UW students in a semester to communicate with librarians and ask questions, and also with other UW students in different sections.
- a way to bypass the email overload that is the inevitable result of a group discussion related to a specific project. I could see how this might have been helpful in our group work on the Self-Study Assessment.
