by Jeremy Yanofsky

There’s no question that one of the biggest shifts in how we think about education today is toward collaborative learning.  Here on the GameDesk blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at the latest and greatest new tools and approaches being developed to support the ideals associated with trend.

This week, we’re starting things off easy with an app that by now is virtually a household name: Skype.

Thanks to the fact that it’s cross-platform, Skype is a shoe-in for ushering in the flexible and cost-effective BYOD (bring-your-own-device) culture to provide a means to connect with one another no matter what piece of hardware you have, know and love.  Those already familiar with Skype may think of it as video conferencing from The Jetsons or Star Trek coming true, but there is far more that can be done with than simply chatting with a friend or colleague from afar.  Skype can be used to bring entire classrooms together, to engage in roleplay, and even to explore applications of augmented reality!

Of course, there is no contest that one of the best uses of Skype is to connect directly with professionals in fields that young men and women are eager to explore. This facilitates learning straight from the source and can help translate one’s passions into reality.  A classic example of this kind of collaborative learning takes place in the video below, which features a sports and marketing class from Tippecanoe Valley High School in Akron, Indiana, nabbing Gabe Newell for an exclusive peek behind the curtain at his game company Valve:

Have ideas for how Skype can be used to promote collaborate learning?
Sound off in the Comments below!