THE Journal

Dweeber Provides Social Network for Homework Collaboration

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/06/09

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SmartWired has launched Dweeber, a social networking site for student homework collaboration. The site, which is being beta tested, allows students to solve problems together, participate in virtual study sessions, and communicate with friends. A collaborative whiteboard can be used to solve math and science problems or to create joint drawings and diagrams. Registered users can create a profile in order to discover how they learn best and then apply this knowledge to improve their schoolwork. Dweeber is targeted towards students aged 13 and up and is free-of-charge.

"One of the things we have learned over the years is that students view their friends as a trusted learning resource, and Dweeber enables them to leverage this collective knowledge," said David Peck, Dweeber founder and CEO. "Our ultimate goal for Dweeber is to help make doing homework fun, because we all remember how painful it can be. By using the tools on the site, students can gather and get their homework done faster and easier than they would on their own."

The user profile feature, called SMART. (for Successes, Mind Patterns, Attractions and Interests, Resources, and Thinking Talents), asks the participant to answer simple questions, such as, "My first choice is: Seeing, reading, or showing; talking or conversing with others; doing physical or hands-on work." It then provides a bullet point summary that lays out how the person answering the questions works best, such as, "You'd be a good note taker for your group."

The profiles can be shared and compared with others' profiles.

The site also allows students to share and rate web sites by subject and earn "guru" points for helping friends, sharing successes, and posting useful resources and sites. Eventually, the site said, participants will be able to exchange the points for products.

The site was developed with the input of a youth advisory board. Site developer SmartWired builds web-based learning programs.