Skype

      I.“More things to do with Social Networks and Virtual Groups”
The site has a user-friendly flow to it and enables the visitor to see exactly what they need to fix a problem they might have. The use of pictures to describe the process, which in this case is how to share a screen on Skype, is understandable for even the most novice of social network users.
There is a feature in which the site asks, “Did this answer your question?” followed by a yes or no button. This is helpful because if a user were to choose “no”, the site will help redirect them to a more helpful instructional.
The Skype screen share feature could be very helpful outside the classroom but still has potential to be helpful academically. However, in the classroom, it could be a distraction to students or an easy way to share online test answers or work. With that said, faculty could use this to aid each other in website use (for example sites like Moodle or Blackboard where some are more savvy than others). The feature could be most helpful for students to help them through technical problems, showing them how to reach certain sections of websites, or for study groups to collaborate with ease.
Skype in itself is a great tool and can very easily be taken to the academic setting. If a student is absent or needs to miss class to be in another location, they can Skype in on a lecture rather than miss a large chunk of material. It can also be used to host office hours outside school setting or if a professor cannot be on campus.
Lastly it would be productive to use Skype as a collaboration tool, not only within groups in a specific class but even with other classes, even in different states or countries. A class can contact a peer who is studying abroad or a professor who is working in another state. My brother’s high school, for example, used Skype to have a debate about Government Policy with a class in Canada.