Solvr is another web application which can help list and share; similar to Todaysmeet but with a few more functions. It can record every idea, comment, or problem the participants post, with a voting system to show whether the post was helpful or are agreed by others.
How do we use it?
The video above pretty much shows most of the functionalities in Solvr. As you can see from the early of the video, without the URL that it provides on top of every "problem" users create, others will not be able to enter this discussion forum.
Two functions that the video does not mention are voting and editing. Unlike Todaysmeet, where once you post your idea its there set in stone. Solvr allows participants to edit any comment/idea/problem, hopefully to simplify and clarify what the original poster wrote.
"Votes", as I mentioned before, can be used to show agreement/acknowledgement, which is also not present in Todaysmeet.
How can we use this in classrooms?
I think this tool will be particularly useful when used before a class debate projects. Students from each side of the debates could create their own Solvr discussion page and go through possible problems that they need to discuss and find solutions, and even discuss how to present their thoughts, what kind of data they need to collect and so on.
However, this tool is not limited to discuss ideas on debates; students can use it to outline a role-play task, presentation projects, and many more.
Another way Solvr could be used in a classroom is brainstorming vocabulary around a theme, making the students add definitions, example sentences etc. Teachers can assign different themes to different groups, and have their results sent to the teacher via e-mail, or even present it to the whole class in the lesson if possible.
Also, Solvr can be more useful than a form with pre-defined questions when getting anonymous feedback, as it allows more interaction between the students. By utilising the vote function we can easily tell how many people feel the same way on a certain issue, for example.
Benefits and Limitations
- Quick and simple to use
- Encourages interactive exchange of ideas
- Great for interactive homework
- Full editing enabled
- No word limit when posting
- Anonymous, so shy students can come forward more easily, and be honest
- Encourages critical thinking skills
- Each problem is given an individual "branch" for corresponding solutions/ideas
- Open to abuse because its anonymous
- Still undergoing tests, so prone to bugs
- Difficult to fully manage an online debate
- No other way to save than printscreen
