Collaborative Learning Website Evaluation!
In the fourth week of class, our group evaluated a collaborative mind mapping website called bubbl and a collaborative writing website called Overleaf.
BUBBL
First of all, let's welcome our first guest: Mr. Bubbl, dressed in blue.（Bubbl.us - Create Mind Maps | Collaborate and Present ideas）
（Image from screenshot）
Actually, in class that day, I only brought an iPad instead of a computer, which led me to have a bad impression of Mr. Bubbl when I first met him. When I first manipulated Bubbl on my iPad, nothing happened when I clicked the yellow button in the middle.
（image from screenshot)
When I click on the yellow text box, there is neither a button to add subsets nor a button to add parallel text boxes. I can only edit the text in the yellow text box.But fortunately, the misunderstanding was resolved afterwards. After I got home, I used Bubbl on my computer and felt that he was still a practical and economical man.
One of the biggest advantages of Bubbl is its simple and intuitive interface. After opening the webpage, there is no need to install plugins or download software. You can start using it directly by registering. Users can quickly add nodes by clicking the "+" and arrange them by dragging and dropping. And there are also multiple templates to choose from. The operation logic is similar to a "tree diagram", which is very suitable for beginners or users who are not familiar with the technology.
（image from screenshot)
In terms of color, Bubbl allows users to set different colors for each node, making it easy to distinguish theme content. In addition, it supports functions such as zooming, dragging the canvas, customizing font size, inserting images or links, etc.
In summary, the advantages of Bubbl are obvious: simple interface, easy to learn, supports online collaboration among multiple people, can export images/PDF and support Chinese input, suitable for Chinese users, can be applied in the classroom, teachers can use Bubbl to organize course content, and students can also use it to organize reading notes, writing outlines, etc. His collaborative editing mode supports multiple users to make modifications on the same map simultaneously. This feature is particularly useful for remote team discussions and student group projects.
Overleaf
I don't highly recommend the next guest. This collaborative writing platform called Overleaf, in my opinion, cannot bear the word 'collaboration'. Because free users can only edit online with two people at the same time and cannot join anyone else.
Originally, we joyfully embarked on the journey of group collaborative writing, imagining that the shining keywords of "real-time collaboration, efficient typesetting, and academic tools" could bring us a bright future. Unexpectedly, Overleaf not only failed to become our writing tool, but also became the main culprit for our group's zero progress in homework.
Our problem is simple: we don't know how to write code.
But Overleaf is not simple at all. It reminds us from beginning to end: "Welcome to the world of LaTeX, where there is no intuitive editing, no formatting automation, only a bunch of slashes, curly braces, and inexplicable errors that you can't understand.
（image from screenshot)
Do you think writing a sentence is just typing text? No, you're too naive.
Put a double quotation mark? You have to remember to use '/textquotedblleft' as " and '/textquotedblright' as ".
Write a percentage comment? Be careful not to add% as it may result in compilation errors for the entire content.
As long as a bracket is unpaired or a character is misplaced, the entire document will go crazy, and you can only watch it repeatedly report errors without knowing where the error lies.
（image from screenshot)
Overleaf is not an efficient tool, for non-technical groups like us, it's more like a 'hell game of text formatting'. We just wanted to write something together, but we were forced to struggle in the code quagmire.
So, if you are a humanities student, not a computer science major, and an ordinary person without a foundation in LaTeX, please take a detour! Overleaf is not your friend, it is a boulder, a mist, and even a nightmare on your writing journey!
Vesper, your deep dive into collaborative learning platforms is a revelation! This isn't just a review—it's a masterclass in how to critically evaluate edtech tools with both educator empathy and technical precision. Your "3D Evaluation Framework" (Design, Dynamics, Data) should be required reading for instructional designers everywhere.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Thanks for pointing the difference between iPad and laptop 💻
ReplyDeleteI think this is truly an outstanding post. Through your expression, I have learned and understood a lot. With your help, I have had more thoughts about the learning through electronic means.
ReplyDelete