Collaborative Tools

Preparation

Go to Yugma, get registered and install Yugma.
Go to Notemesh

• Create a user profile with your name and MSU email address
• They will email you a password to the MSU email address (or wherever you have your MSU mail forwarded)
• Return to NoteMesh and log in, using your MSU email address and the password provided in the email.
• Search for and add the class (CEP 416).
• I recommend going to the User Panel and clicking on Edit Your Info to change your password to something easy to remember.

Survey

Take the survey
Survey results

What are collaborative tools?

Collaborative tools include the wide range of web-based applications that allow you to work collaboratively with others to create pieces of writing, concept maps, drawings, spreadsheets and much more. You can even participate in web conferencing with video and audio and have the option to create presentations collaboratively. The best part is that most of these tools are freely available and require only a web browser to use.

What are the Obstacles prior to Web 2.0

• Accessibility – Everyone need to have the same local software
• Synchronicity – While collaboration was made more efficient, it was not in real-time.
• Scalability – The scale of the collaboration was restricted to smaller groups. Pretty much impossible to have global collaboration

Several Popular Online Tools

(1) Writing Tools:

Each of the following allow you to create a new document online or upload an existing document that you can make public and share with other authors of your choice. When you share the document you can decide if other authors can view and edit or just view the document.

• Notemesh
• Google Docs & Spreadsheets

Educational Implications: 7 things you should know about collaborative editing

(2) Web Conferencing Tools:

These tools allow for free web conferencing. They have different features that include chat, file sharing and more.

• Yugma
• Vyew
  Demos

Educational Implications: 7 things you should know about virtual meeting

(3) Wikis

Wikipedia
Wikispace

• Tutorial
• Example: Examples of educational wikis; Wikibooks ; http://te958nclb.wikispaces.com/

Benefits

• Created in real time
• Everyone is “editor in chief”
• Considered “Open source” – no one owns it
• Everyone can: start, add, fix, erase
• Organic and democratic in nature

Challenges

• Ÿ Some wikis are questionable resources for research
• Ÿ Anonymous authors
• Ÿ Student-posted information may be modified/spammed

Educational Implications: 7 things you should know about Wikis

(4) Concept Mapping

These tools allow you to collaboratively create and edit a concept map with other users.

• Mindomo
• Mindjet