Linda Briggs of Campus Technology posted an interesting article today, discussing the University of Washington’s installation of collaborative computing “studios.” Catalyst client services, an IT group serving the university, set-up a number of studios in libraries and classroom buildings around campus that are frequented by students, faculty and staff.

Briggs reports that UW’s collaboration areas are fairly basic; they consist of a table, a few chairs, a simple whiteboard with markers and a large 50-inch plasma computer display. The primary appeal of the studios and the key to facilitating the interactive, small-group meetings is a networked computer at each area that is running collaborative computing software from Tidebreak called TeamSpot.

Through the TeamSpot software, group members have remote control of the shared desktop on the plasma computer display through their own laptops. They can also share files and information between the shared desktop and any of the group member’s computers, using a simple click and drag operation. Karaleen Woody, director of Catalyst, asserts, “If there are six students [in the space], they could be in three different groups of two, sharing back and forth on their laptops, while simultaneously contributing to a shared group space up on the plasma screen.”

The potential of this collaborative technology is particularly exciting considering the way wireless networking on campuses has changed the nature of technology-enabled learning spaces. Briggs reports that currently TeamSpot software doesn’t support remote collaboration, however, to make remote collaboration possible at UW, Catalyst has created a tool called ShareSpace that allows online collaboration. “Using both TeamSpot and ShareSpace, groups can begin the collaborative process together at one of the stations using TeamSpot, then load the shared content into ShareSpace and continue with the collaborative process later online. Thus, students who want a combination of in person and remote collaboration capabilities are accommodated.

It is interesting to consider the manner in which this software might be utilized with converged mobile devices to dissolve the boundaries of the college classroom by increasing opportunities for collaborative educational exchange.