Synchronous Communication and Collaboration Tools

Tinychat delivers dead simple video "conferences" without extraneous ad-ons and inconvenience, making video conferencing an accessible, uncomplicated experience. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux; with Firefox, IE, Safari, and Chrome; and there is a version available for iPhones. Participants do not need to set up an account; they simply follow the URL you provide to join the conversation. Up to twelve (12) people can see and talk to each other in a room with high quality video, and more could participate by audio or text chat only. All for free! Tinychat might be an interesting option for providing group office hours, conducting preliminary interviews or remote guest lectures and much more. With a professional account the room can be protected by passwords and use moderators to provide traffic control, if desired. Desktop sharing is also possible, and your conferences can be recorded and embedded on your website.
Click here for a brief tutorial on how to create and set up a Tinychat chatroom.

Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls to other users of the service, and in some countries to free-of-charge numbers, are free, while calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Up to four (4) participants can see and talk to each other at the same time. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing. Skype might be an interesting option for providing one-on-one office hours with a sick student.

LectureTools provides a range of student response options plus it allows students to

Take notes synchronized to lecture slides
Draw on and save the instructor’s lecture slides
Pose clarifying questions that can be answered asynchronously during class or after class
Self-assess their understanding during lecture.

Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users, or to work asynchronously, with a history log of changes that have been made. Here's a quick guide on using Google Docs.

Asynchronous Collaboration Tools

Project management doesn't have to be complicated. Instead of scrambling around for the last email attachment you received, use PBworks as a central, secure place to collaborate on files and pages. PBworks hosts more project management workspaces than any other collaboration company in the world. The service also has a simple and comprehensive help wiki. Blog vs Wiki?

Blogger is an online blogging tool. In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. This PDF will walk you through creating a blog and this one demonstrates how to embed video in your blog. Blog vs. Wiki?

For collaboration, CTools provides several options to help organize communication and collaborative work on campus and around the world, such as the Wiki and Forums. In addition, CTools offers:

Drop.io is an online service that allows you to do real-time, private sharing, collaboration and presentation. Each "drop" allows you to deposit up to 100MB of data--free, and you can create as many as you like. You can also easily create drops without even creating an account. Need to collect assignments from your students without getting an avalanche of email? This PDF will show you how to create a simple drop where your students can upload their documents---without being able to see anyone else's files or download anything. Check this PDF to see how to create a place where students can download documents instead.

UM.SiteMaker is a web-based program, originated at the University of Michigan, that lets non-technical people make highly customized websites and web-databases. Through the use of data tables, instructors can enable students to share content, work as a group, comment on classmates' work and analyze sets of data. A nice selection of real-life examples can be seen in the UM.SiteMaker Gallery