Cut Project Costs, Collaborate Online!

Instructional Designers (or anyone working in a technology-based field) should not wait in exhausting highway traffic…airport lines…or hold up a boardroom in order to collaborate with team members. Personally, I would prefer to work from home…It’s not like we tech people actually “talk” to one another.

For this 8 week CBT (Computer-Based Training) Project, I was working with 2 out-of-state IDs. Design & Development went pretty smoothly thanks to our use of several Online Meeting/Collaboration Tools. Simple trial and error…figuring out which was most capable of handling all of our file transfer and presentation needs…e-mail just doesn’t “do it” for certain project tasks.

In the spirit of sharing & caring, I created a Feature Analysis Chart of 4 programs (AOL, iVisit, GoToMeeting & Adobe Connect) we tried out…

Some Additional Pros & Cons…

• AOL CHAT (a Download): Simple if you already have a Screenname, but who wants co-workers or supervisors seeing our obnoxious away messages…I don’t.

• iVisit (a Download): Too boring and limited; Requires an annoying code for log-in; Set up is more like something from the late 90s…yawn.

• GoToMeeting (Wed-based): Great online tool; Unlimited amount of meetings; Voice conferencing available

• Adobe Connect Professional (Web-based): Strictly web-based; Host has ability to maneuver through personal computer while audience/other connected members watch; Voice conferencing also available; Need for a definite high speed connection when presenting info…you and your dial-up modem holding up everyone’s time = sooooo embarrassing.

…I prefer Adobe Connect, of course.

De Anna L Fench
eduTech gEEk writer