Microsoft Research So.cl Social Networks for Learning

Developed by the team behind KODO, an elegant and simple visual programming language, So.cl is now open for registrations. So.cl offers a unique take on search and social networking and is designed to give students the ability to network with their peers and both share information and collaborate more easily online.

More importantly, So.cl is designed to offer a secure environment for students to discover new topics of interest and share this with their classmates and beyond. A global classroom or study group is potentially now only a click away!

Users log in to the network with their Facebook or Windows Live accounts, and are then presented with a range of topic areas that they can learn more about and share with their friends and wider network. Search being a focal point of the service also makes it easy to find new content based around the topics they are currently studying or passionate about and add these to their So.cl profile page. Furthermore, the addition of a So.cl "bookmarklet" makes sharing additional content that users discover online to their So.cl network a simple and streamlined process.

The ability to add and curate video parties and collaborate around this content with friends is a also a particularly compelling and interesting feature and look forward to seeing how this is embraced within the community.

Ultimately, with research now primarily being carried out online So.cl offers learners an interesting aggregation tool to collect and share the resources they discover on Facebook and Wikipedia etc to fellow learners and likeminded connections on the site. We will be watching the service closely and will be sharing additional content on the blog over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, you can learn more about So.cl over at https://www.so.cl/