BP2_Nicenet

Nicenet is a free web 2.0 tool with a simple to use interface that allows class creation, remote log-in, and collaboration. The instructor begins by clicking "Create a Class" on the Nicenet homepage. 

Immediately after a user name and a name for the class is created the system responds with a Class Key. The instructor gives the Class Key to students to access the class and uses the Class Key to access the course for creation and editing.  In the example below the name of the class title is "A demo of Nicenet."

Students are registered for the class when they "Join a Class" using the option on the home page at http://nicenet.org then enter the Class Key. 

 
The instructor begins to add course content by logging in using their user name and the Class Key. Once on the home page, clicking "New Assignment" at the bottom of the page brings up a page for entering information and customizing the course options.






There are options for assigning a due date, student reminders, associating the class with a Conferencing Topic, and access rights and restrictions to submitted assignments.


Links for adding collaborative features to the class are on a toolbar on the left margin of the Home page. There are three ways to collaborate with a group.

Students and instructors share ideas using the Conferencing option. Threads can be linked to any of the classes that have been created by the instructor in the current account. This works much like a discussion board or blog.

A Link Sharing feature and Document postings can also be associated with the class to allow for collaboration and sharing resources. 

Personal messaging between the instructor and individual students is also initiated from the home page.
Class maintenance is made easy with options for creating, joining, dropping and deleting a class readily available on the Home page. Classes do not expire but Nicenet reserves the right to delete classes that remain inactive, though they claim they have never had to do this.

This free tool does not have options for adding pictures, graphics, video or audio although this could probably be accomplished with a little bit of creative linking to outside hosts. 

I suspect this tool should not be classified as a Web 2.0 tool based on the fact that access to the courses and conferencing features require a site administered code.  However, Nicenet would be a reasonable choice for organizations or users with modest resources and anyone that doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles. It is clean and simple. And it's free! These features combined with the ease of use could make it attractive to non-profits and community organizations to create things like continuing education classes or adult education topics offered by the local Recreation Department for example. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination.