The system is based on the PageSeederTM technology which allows the teachers to manage the administration of their own areas - controlling who can enter and what annotations will be accepted or broadcast. People can contribute to a document on the web by using a standard web browser and any email program. Storing comments in XML format separate from the original document allows for a lot of flexibility. Creates a sense of group experience Students can share questions and answers initiated by others in their class group, so that a classroom dynamic builds up even though the interactions are asynchronous. But this is exactly why its great, it's not easy to get groups together at the same time, even when they're in different places.
Students can use a seed to send a question relating the material nearby.
Enriching the document content without altering the original The next class to use the materials will be able to read the questions and answers, in itself a good learning technique. Later, after the lesson has been used for a while the teacher will be able to create a new version by incorporating essential material by using an XML or HTML editor. This is because all of the annotations are stored in an XML database. It's not just in education though, there are many uses for collaboration across the web and the simplicity for the user means that it is trouble free. But the sophistication of the XML underpinning means that good use can be made of the captured information.