Starting this semester, MyGateway will be receiving new features, including PRONTO, a social networking tool that Marcel Bechtoldt, system administrator for Technology Services, said is "for the college community that integrates with course management tools like MyGateway.
"Understand that MyGateway does use some specific tools in it that we purchase from other than Blackboard, which MyGateway is based on," Bechtoldt said.
PRONTO is a product that comes from Wimba, the same vendor that created MyGateway's Live Classroom tool, which is used for online virtual classroom session purposes.
"Last year, Wimba announced this new instant messaging service and offered it to all colleges using their other products and services," Bechtoldt said.
"Once you sign up and follow the instruction to set up your course selection option, you will download the IM client and install it on your personal computer," he said on how to operate PRONTO. "Then login into PRONTO IM with your username and password that you just created.
"The rest of the use follows normal IM activities. Don't forget to set up your profile. It really personalizes your information that is made available to other fellow students in your classes," he added.
PRONTO automatically sets up a course contact list through MyGateway as well as text chatting person-to-person or within a group.
PRONTO also comes with Voice Over IP (VoIP) audio, which Bechtoldt said is "a feature many other IM systems do not have."
According to Bechtoldt, "Group IM and VoIP features allow development of study groups. It enables collaboration and active participation in your academic life and encourages student-to-student interaction and social networking."
"ITS feels that there are many creative ways PRONTO will be used," Bechtoldt said. "Since there are other universities using this now, all one needs to do is add a contact username to the IM and you can keep in contact."
PRONTO will be available for MyGateway users starting this spring semester of 2008.
"The mission of our University is to develop a community with our students, faculty and staff. Information Technology Services (ITS) see this as a natural path to take since students and staff are familiar with IM," Bechtoldt said. "PRONTO has the potential to have a big impact on campus community allowing us to communicate online, to share our academic interest and cultural diversity."
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