About Synchronous Tools

  • Skype is software for audio- and video-conferencing. Free for basic use. I've been using it for about a year. (Trey Martindale)
  • Electronic whiteboards make it possible for participants to contribute to a common visual working space. They can draw on the whiteboard, type text or paste images and each participant sees the same end result. Although electronic whiteboards can be expensive and come in a variety of styles and brands, they seem to be very beneficial when they are intergrated in educational settings and businesses.(Jamie Baer)
  • Controlled Chat & Instant Messenger allows students to communicate online and in real time. This tool will help peers reinforce concepts and build a community while also reducing questions and e-mails to instructors. (Kim Zachar)
  • A Podcast is a multimedia file that is distributed over the internet. Podcasting was initially used for "radio shows;" however, podcasts have expanded to school lessons, conferences, public safety messages, etc. (Dayna Baer)
  • WebEx is a total solution software that can maximize the productivity of the global workforce through secure instant messaging, meeting with customers in an online meeting or web conferencing for internal business processes. WebEx delivers a robust suite of on-demand collaborative applications that dramatically increase business efficiencies . (Wendy Harris)
  • Polycom®, Inc provides video conferencing systems for telejustice applications in the courtroom and among lawyers-- offering judges, legal professionals, court officials, inmates and witnesses an efficient, cost effective and safe process for deposition, trials and consultations. (Mary Easter)
  • http://www.aim.com AOL instant Messenger™ (AIM) service is a free online service that lets you communicate with family, friends and co-workers in real time. Using the AIM Buddy List® feature you can see when your buddies are online and available to instant messages. (Carrie Levenson)
  • IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat and is very similar to Instant Messaging, but it equated more with CB radio for the web. There are thousands of channels that people can use to chat with. One of the advantages of IRC is that teachers can set up a channel that only the students are invited to and tutoring can be provided over such channels. (Alyssa Kovach)
  • http://cbdd.wsu.edu/edev/Nigeria_ToT/mkc/index.htm KEWL stands for Knowledge Environment for Web - based Learning. KEWL has most of the features common to commercial learning management systems, and is ready for use to deliver online courses. KEWL developers have tried to keep the interface as simple as possible in order to make it a suitable system for the low bandwidth environment that characterizes most developing countries. (Ryan Mallory)
  • http://www.groove.net/home/index.cfm Microsoft Office Groove is meant for use in the workplace, and allows users to share files, manage meetings and projects, and track data. It basically allows people in different places to work as if they are in the same room.

(Courtney B.)

PEBBLES links students confined to hospital with their classmates at school through a real-time video-mediated communication system. Both the hospital unit and classroom are outfitted with computers that include video conferencing hardware and software. Audiovisual information is transmitted via a high-speed broadband digital communication network. (D.Dickson)