Brain+dump+1

Jane's initial brain dump 3/30/12 As I try to consider what need OC meets I think about: 1. What it pulls together from other existing tools into a package
 * Dropbox - shared repository for working and completed artifacts
 * Wiki / google docs - collaborative editing
 * Wiki history - the ability to track changes, advances
 * Concept mapping - visually display connections among ideas and artifacts to support meaning making
 * Powerpoint/concept mapping - visually represent a product or outcome
 * LMS grouping function for team work

2. Features that exist in other tools but are not associated directly with them
 * settable of permissions
 * roles and levels of roles
 * member "ownership" rather than school or teacher owned
 * tagging
 * commenting
 * projection of selfhood (not yet fully present)
 * in tool editing (basic text, graphic, audio markup/edit

3. Comparing it to the features limitations of other tools
 * limitations of ownership and control in LMS
 * Limitations of Dropbox having no in tool editor
 * Limitation of Wiki's text-iness
 * Limitations of concept mapping not being truly collaborative

4. Things I want OpenCohort to do
 * Enable teams to get up and running quickly
 * Promote idea advancement not just collection and dumping (need to work on scaffolds for this)
 * Non linear manipulation of ideas and artifacts (click and drag and stretch and zoom and highlight functionality)
 * Provide analytics that will help team members assess their progress and set new directions
 * Be people oriented rather than object oriented