Google Hangouts Review
Google Hangouts Blog
Google Hangouts is an application that allows for text, voice, and video chats. This application is easily used on computers, tablets, and phones of all types. Hangouts is free to download and use except for possible data costs and information collection from Google. It is integrated into Google+ and Gmail and requires an account to be able to set up chats. However, Hangouts now allows a host to invite others into an audio or video call that do not have a google account. These calls can be expanded to include up to ten participants. To include more participants, a group conversation must be created in google hangouts. These groups can have up to 150 members for text and 25 participants for audio/video. To enter these larger groups, users must use google hangouts and therefore must have a google account. Invites are easily created through email and the users contact list. Google Hangouts works seamlessly with the Google Chrome browser. To use Internet Explorer or Safari, a plug-in must be downloaded to make the connection between the app and the browser. At the time of writing this blog, newer versions of Firefox would not allow video calling. Google is in the process of updating Hangouts, but it is not available yet.
WhatsApp Screencast
Review #2 (EDU 807) – WhatsApp
WhatsApp is an application that allows for text, audio, and video messages to be sent between users easily from phones or computers. It is easily downloaded (6.4MB) and installed on any cellphone or computer and can use wifi or a data plan. WhatsApp is completely free to use and has unlimited time and data limits. The group limit is restricted to 256 participants at one time. WhatsApp is very user friendly and automatically integrates your phones contact list to sort out who is already a WhatsApp user and who isn’t.
WhatsApp enables messaging (text, audio, and video), file sharing, and map/location sharing free through wifi or as data plan charges require. WhatsApp is also capable of making voice and video (with IOS 8.0+) calls for one-on-one conversations. All communications can be seamlessly synched with other devices like computers or tablets so that you can use whatever device you happen to have easily accessible. WhatsApp has also recently added end-to-end encryption making it a much more appealing app for organizations and people concerned with security.
Messaging can also be set up among groups (as seen above), which makes it great for educational purposes. This app is a great resource to help build a sense of community within an online classroom environment and to encourage collaboration on group projects or discussions beyond the typical classroom setting. Professors could use the group chat function as a FAQ discussion for students to post up questions and concerns that can be addressed by the professor and preferably other students. This will give the ability of fast responses to questions and which can be a major issue for students in online courses.
Pedagogically, WhatsApp is a great source for an asynchronous chat about a topic. A user (professor or student) can post a question or topic and a discussion can ensue outside of normal class time and encourage communication between all participants. Lastly, WhatsApp is a great app for use just between students. Either as a private “whine” session or a collaboration tool for a project of some type. The ease of use and accessibility on phones, computers, and tablets makes it a great way to keep communication between group members open. Students can work out problems and tasks both synchronously and asynchronously and with text, audio, or video. WhatsApp can assist in developing an environment for communication and collaboration that will also help educators forge a strong sense of community among students that is essential for success in online courses. Using the app in this way promotes the following ISTE Standards for educators:
3a – Create experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community.
4c – Use collaborative tools to expand students’ authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.
5a – Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.
5b – Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.
5c – Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.
6b – Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.
To improve WhatsApp, I would recommend two major additions. The first is that the audio and video options should also be available to groups. Right now you can only text in groups. If the developers could integrate a way to have audio and video group chats, that would put this app into a new realm of possibilities for virtual classrooms and meetings. By incorporating the interpersonal connections that WhatsApp is known for with the ability to have virtual meetings on any device at anytime and anywhere in the world, this application would explode in popularity and possibilities. At the same time, WhatsApp needs to expand its ability to incorporate with other apps like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The ability to post or live stream to these apps would make WhatsApp almost a one stop shop that people could use for all of their communications between each other privately and among social media.
Blog #2 – WhatsApp
WhatsApp is an application that allows for text, audio, and video messages to be sent between users easily from phones or computers. It is easily downloaded and installed on any cellphone or computer and can use wifi or a data plan. WhatsApp is completely free to use and has unlimited time and data limits. The group limit is restricted to 256 participants at one time. WhatsApp is very user friendly and automatically integrates your phones contact list to sort out who is already a WhatsApp user and who isn’t. The app enables messaging (text, audio, and video), file sharing, and map/location sharing free through wifi or as data plan charges require. WhatsApp is also capable of making voice and video calls for one-on-one conversations. All communications can be seamlessly synched with other devices like computers or tablets so that you can use whatever device you happen to have easily accessible. Messaging can also be set up among groups, which makes it great for educational purposes. This app is a great resource to help build a sense of community within an online classroom environment and to encourage collaboration on group projects or discussions beyond the typical classroom setting. WhatsApp has quickly become the most popular messaging app in the world and will be a great addition to any educational environment.
Zoom Screencast
Review #1 (EDU 807) – Zoom
Zoom is a cloud based application designed for hosting virtual meetings of many different types. It allows the participants to engage in discussions through chat messaging, audio, and video options. Once you sign up for an account, it requires a small download for the application that allows users to communicate virtually. Meetings can be set up through a simple URL link that can be copied and messaged through any social media or sent out through email directly from the zoom app. It is free to set up an initial account with Zoom. With the free account, users are able to host unlimited meetings with a 40 minute time limit for groups and unlimited time for 1 on 1 meetings. A single group meeting can hold up to 100 active participants and up to 10,000 additional observers. There are additional pay plans that eliminate the time limit, allow for cloud recording, call-in features, among others. These plans start at $14.99/mo and increase from there depending on features.
While in a Zoom meeting, users are able to record the meetings with high quality video and audio in MP4 and M4A video formats, and easily share or upload to applications like YouTube. The view of the panelists can also be changed from a tile view of all participants to larger view of the active speaker. Participants can mute audio and change video options on their own display if they desire. During meetings, users can also utilize the chat function to message all participants in the meeting, with group chat, or specific individuals, by using the private chat function. Files and links can also be shared in chat making it an excellent option for collaborative tasks. Zoom also enables users to share their screen with the other participants in the meeting while still maintaining a view of the panelists. Participants can display their entire desktop enabling use of other apps like google docs, PowerPoint, browsers, etc. to enhance collaborative abilities. The screen share is captured in the recordings and allows the presenter to use any programs that display on their desktop to communicate with the other participants.
Zoom has limitless uses in both hybrid and online courses. The simplest use would be to incorporate zoom as virtual classroom to have synchronous meetings or as a site to hold virtual office hours for tutoring. All basic classroom activities can be achieved with zoom including lecture through powerpoint or presi, file sharing through the chat function, and discussions through the virtual meeting design. However, innovative educators can utilize Zoom for small student led meetings and discussions, group project collaborations, debates, presentations, webinars, global presenters, and numerous other possibilities. Zoom is able to help teachers integrate all 7 of the ISTE Standards for Students, including utilizing technology to demonstrate competency, create meaningful learning experiences, critically think and solve problems with innovative solutions, and communicate clearly, respectfully, and ethically in a global forum. Students can use zoom to create presentations and videos that can be uploaded and viewed worldwide. Specialists from around the world can be invited to meetings with students for special presentations and discussions about topics. Students can use Zoom to work collaboratively on just about any project for any class. Zoom has the ability to open up a world of possibilities to the teacher that chooses to explore its possibilities.
In addition to helping students learn, Zoom is also great for helping teachers learn. Zoom can be a great new possibility for professional development and teacher collaboration. Teaching techniques or ideas could be shared to colleagues through a webinar or virtual meeting to help spread good teaching practices. Professional development could use zoom to help increase inter-departmental collaboration and tackle school wide educational issues. Zoom can be the medium that allows groups to be able to collaborate that could never find the opportunity before. With Zoom, educational institutions have the ability to increase learning and collaboration at the student and teacher/admin level with results only limited by the creativity of the educational designer.
To improve Zoom, I think the designers should start looking into ways to connect it more with other applications. There should be a one click upload of video to YouTube. The designers should also connect it more with social media, allowing for pictures and videos to be uploaded to Facebook/Instagram easily and maybe even take advantage of the Facebook Live ability and connect in with the meetings. This could allow students, educators, and institutions to reach a wider audience and help to garner interest in education and the topic of discussion covered in the Zoom meeting. With the increasing importance of social media in every aspect of life, it is currently the best way to reach people and educational groups could really use Zoom efficiently to hold panel discussions that could reach vast groups of people never considered possible before.
Blog #1 EDU 807
Class Meetings for Online Classes
Technology #1: ZOOM
We have had a lot of practice with this application in the DET program so far. Zoom is a great program to create meetings for entire classes, group discussions, or one-on-one meetings. The program is easy to install and very user friendly. It has the ability to set meetings ahead of time and send out links though email and outlook calendar. Participants can share screens and type in chats as well as use audio and video conferencing. Zoom also has a built-in “record” function that allows anyone in the meeting to record it and convert it into several common video file types. This is a great resource to build a sense of community within an online classroom environment and to encourage collaboration on group projects or discussions. I often also use it for online “office hours” where I am available for students to ask questions and receive help if needed. Overall, it is a great program with multiple uses in classes with an online component.
DET Blog - Todd Callan 