Collaboration and Communication Apps Review

Marie Blankenship

App # 1 for Personal, Pedagogical, or Professional Use - Zoom

Description:

Zoom was chosen for pedagogical reasons as I will begin instructing students through Zoom in two weeks. The utilization of Zoom was dictated by my organization. In the past, I participated in Zoom meetings as a student. This only required the activation of an emailed Zoom link. Now, I will be the teacher and host of the Zoom meetings. This will require a more intimate knowledge of the inner working of Zoom.

My students have not been established yet and there exist privacy concerns. I asked a relative and friend to participate within Zoom. This screen shot displays three participants in a Zoom meeting. We discussed how to utilize all the functions of Zoom. One screen shot includes annotations which were tested.

  

App # 2 for Personal, Pedagogical, or Professional Use - Teams

Description:

I am new to Teams and have recently began utilizing it for my employer. Mostly it is utilized for peer-to-peer collaboration or communication; although, other applications within Teams are utilized as well. Teams houses all of the center’s templates with limited user edit privileges. Additionally, I tutor as a side hustle. As I become more accustomed to utilizing Teams for my job, I realized the potential pedagogical benefits. So, I added an additional Teams account for my tutoring students. Some of my students will be virtual in two weeks and Teams will be a great resource. Teams allows for communication, lesson uploads, and file storage. I am currently exploring the integration of additional apps to Teams. This potential seems beneficial for educators. I am also considering a personal account for communication with friends and family.

My students have not been established yet and there exist privacy concerns. I asked a relative, a friend, and a colleague to participate within Teams. Additionally, I reached out to some public and private pedagogical teams which were already established. The pedagogical teams should be a beneficial resource moving forward. These screen shots display multiple interaction with others. We discussed setup and how to log into Teams. There is also a screen shoot of settings exploration within Teams.    

App # 1- Zoom

Description:

Zoom is a conferencing and collaborative tool for personal, pedagogical, and professional use (Correia et. al., 2020; CTG Tech, 2021; Nobre, 2018; Zoom Video Communications, 2021). It is a 24/7 app for anytime or anywhere service (Zoom Video Communications, 2021). Some of its functions include chat, video, screen share, and recording (Nobre, 2018; Zoom Video Communications, 2021). Zoom has both free and paid accounts available (Correia et. al., 2020; Nobre, 2018; Zoom Video Communications, 2021). Zoom boost the interactive features which allow annotation and lesson recordings for educators (Nobre, 2018). This includes remote and hybrid learning (Zoom Video Communications, 2021). Hosts can create breakout rooms for small group discussions (Nobre, 2018; Zoom Video Communications, 2021).

Warnings:

Parents, students, and educators should be aware of  potential safety concerns and drawbacks to Zoom. Safety concerns include privacy and security (Correia et. al., 2020; CTG Tech, 2021; De Leyn et. al., 2021; Greenhow & Askari, 2017; Indu, 2018; Madumere et. al., 2020; Nobre, 2018). Unwanted guests have been known to infiltrate Zoom meeting to be disruptive or for criminal behavior (CTG Tech, 2021). Drawbacks include connectivity for full functionality of Zoom (Nobre, 2018). This means a strong internet connection is required for audio and video to work properly. I have been in Zoom meeting which experienced freezing or interruption from poor internet connections. This can be frustrating for teachers and students.

Safeguards:

CTG Tech (2021) provided some safeguards for Zoom use which include:

·         Secure your Zoom account with a strong password.

·         Do not make personal meeting ID or conference links public.

·         Only utilize official Zoom app.

·         Enable the waiting room which allows the host the ability to approve or deny entrance.

·         Utilize screen share features to prevent or allow sharing.

·         Zoom chat should not be utilized for confidential discussions as transcript are viewable by others.

·         Make use of the mute and video off when necessary.

Educators should provide this list of safeguards to parents and students. Additional safeguards could be added for classroom use, such as classroom rules for Zoom, peer-to-peer conduct, student-to-teacher feedback, class scheduling, how to block offenders, how to report scams or offenders, and so on.

Link to the app and/or other helpful resources:

https://zoom.us/

https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=4c3290f6db5b845430ed1dca4896197f

App # 2- Microsoft Teams

Description:

Microsoft Teams or Teams as it is often referred is a collaborative and communication videoconferencing web-based systems (Correia & Xu, 2020). This collaborative environment allows teams to stay connect facilitating teamwork (Greenhow & Askari, 2017; Indu, 2018; Madumere et. al., 2020). Teams is free to download but it requires a Microsoft account to utilize (Correia & Xu, 2020). This type of system has experience significant improvements in image, sound, and connection. Improving teaching and learning in additional to enhancing personal communications (Correia & Xu, 2020). Educators can benefit from the screen share, application share, file transfer, annotation tools, whiteboard, and recording with playback in learning mode to enhance lesson understanding and the learning experience (Correia & Xu, 2020).

Warnings:

Teams have potential drawbacks which educators, parents, and student should be aware. First, user must have a Microsoft 365 account to operate this platform (Correia & Xu, 2020). Teams does not have small breakout rooms or virtual hand raising (Correia & Xu, 2020). This drawback does not allow for small group discussion which would be advantageous to students working on group projects. Some individuals regard the navigation menu as complicated and confusing (Correia & Xu, 2020). I found this to be the case as well. It took a great deal of trial and error to locate the appropriate settings to accomplish my person goals. Additionally, I am still trying to integrate one Team which is not included within my Teams location. Correia and Xu (2020) revealed that customer service and support remains lacking to assist with navigation or other problem issues.

Safeguards:

Microsoft Support (2021) suggests these safeguards to protect your account:

·         Create a strong password to protect your Teams account as hackers can gain access to your other accounts through your email.

·         Use official Microsoft apps and Microsoft authenticator.

·         Add extra security to your account to make it easier to recover if hacked.

·         Keep updates current to enhance security and performance.

·         Never give out your password or other information. Microsoft will not ask for it.

·         Always examine unusual activity on your account.

·         Keep your device safe and remove trusted status from old or discarded devices.

Educators should provide this list of safeguards to parents and students. Additional safeguards could be added for classroom use, such as classroom rules for Teams, peer-to-peer conduct, student-to-teacher feedback, class scheduling, how to block offenders, how to report scams or offenders, and so on.

Link to the app and/or other helpful resources:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/log-in

https://education.microsoft.com/en-us/resource/d5b62e3e

App # 3- TikTok

Description:

TikTok is a popular mobile social networking app for sharing short videos (Smuskiewicz, 2020). It utilizes lip-syncing and other amateur videos globally. The videos are 15 seconds long or multiple videos can be strung together creating a 60 second video. The videos can be uploaded to TikTok or embedded into other social media platforms with a smartphone (Smuskiewicz, 2020). It is owned by ByteDance Technology in China (Smuskiewicz, 2020). TikTok originated in Asia but gained popularity in Western markets in 2018 (Smuskiewicz, 2020).

Warnings:

Some TikTok concerns include privacy, child safety, inappropriate content, predators, cyberbullying, addition, and risky challenges (De Leyn et. al., 2021; Indu, 2018; Madumere et. al., 2020; Smuskiewicz, 2020). Some challenges posted on TikTok have led to serious injuries. Another concern is the political nature of TikTok leading to national security implications (Smuskiewicz, 2020). The use of TikTok by educator should be utilized with extreme caution as young children are greatly influenced by events seen on this platform. Other concerns for educators would be the occurance of cyberbullying and the possibility of addition. Social media addiction can affect student outcomes negatively (De Leyn et. al., 2021; Greenhow & Askari, 2017; Indu, 2018; Madumere et. al., 2020). I have viewed funny and disturbing TikToks. The disturbing far outweighed the funny, so I have chosen not to utilize TikTok as an educator currently. I may revise my opinion in the future if the app improves.

Safeguards:

Utilizing appropriate safeguards will allow TikTok to be a creative social outlet for students (Thurrott, 2019). Thurrott (2019) offered safeguards for parents and educators:

·         Watch for inappropriate content of self-harm, nudity, suggestive dancing, swearing, cutting, and offensive comments.

·         Limit who can access student videos by making accounts private.

·         Teach students how to stay safe online by keeping settings private and explaining the dangers.

·         Beware of bullying, cruel posts, and inappropriate comments.

·         Keep a close eye on students who want to be famous as they may make bad decisions or engage in risky behaviors.

·         Monitor student screen time with limitations for usage.

·         Parent and educators should check it out for themselves to determine if it is appropriate for their student.

TikTok can be great fun and a learning experience with supervision and constant monitoring. Educators must be vigilant if utilizing this application for pedagogical experiences.

Link to the app and/or other helpful resources:

https://www.tiktok.com/en/

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-tiktok-guide-clueless-parents-ncna1066466

App # 4- WhatsApp

Description:

WhatsApp is a global videoconferencing system with a simple user interface, visually descriptive, user guidance for errors, while offering textual assistance (Birdsong et. al., 2020; Correia & Xu, 2020). Numerous university students utilize this platform for studying (Indu, 2018). This app remains user friendly and free of charge for up to four people (Correia & Xu, 2020; Indu, 2018). WhatsApp best serves small groups for audio, video, chat, and file transfer functions only (Correia & Xu, 2020). This could serve to supplement Teams which does not have a small group or breakout feature (Correia & Xu, 2020).

Warnings:

As with any other web-based app, WhatsApp has warnings and drawbacks. WhatsApp has been known for privacy and security issues, cyberbullying, scams, fake news, consistency, and customer service support which remains far below its competition (Birdsong et. al., 2020; Correia & Xu, 2020; De Leyn et. al., 2021). Often students were unaware of the privacy and security issues (Birdsong et. al., 2020; Greenhow & Askari, 2017). Young student particularly like this app due to its secretive nature and it is free (Birdsong et. al., 2020). Another noteworthy point regarding WhatsApp is its addictive potential (De Leyn et. al., 2021; Indu, 2018). Drawbacks include no desktop versions, only small group access, and difficulty for teacher/student or peer-to-peer communication within the education environment (Correia & Xu, 2020). Additionally, it lacks screen sharing, remote control, and annotation tools (Correia & Xu, 2020). Annotation tools remain crucial to improve the learning experience and enhance teaching for educators. The drawbacks outweigh the benefits for this educator. Additionally, there exist far better app with greater security. Parent, students, and educator should utilize care when employing this app.

Safeguards:

Numerous safegards should be taken when utilizing this app for pedogogical purposes. This would include strong passwords and security settings (De Leyn et. al., 2021; Madumere et. al., 2020). Additionally, talk to students regarding stranger danger warnings (Birdsong et. al., 2020; De Leyn et. al., 2021).

Birdsong et. al. (2020) suggests safeguards to protect students utilizing this app which include:

·         Discuss app with student before downloading.

·         Guide younger user on safety and create strong privacy settings and password.

·         Closely monitor student’s device, screen time, messages, and behavior.

·         Parents should control location sharing and be vigilant be keeping location detection off.

·         Tell students to avoid strangers and strange links being aware of unusual traffic.

Educators must be vigilant if utilizing this application for pedagogical experiences. Monitor students closely and inform parent of the warnings and safeguards to protect students.

Link to the app and/or other helpful resources:

https://www.whatsapp.com/download/?lang=en

https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/family-safety/is-whatsapp-safe-for-kids-heres-what-parents-need-to-know/

App # 5- VoiceThread

Description:

VoiceThread is a collaborative and communicative platform for slideshows and other multimedia (Edwards, 2021). The platform allows for storage of videos, images, documents, and lessons (Edwards, 2021; VoiceThread, 2020). An excellent feature of VoiceThread is feedback. It allows for commenting in real time and for past recordings (VoiceThread, 2020). Comments can be left through mic, telephone, text, audio files, and video as in webcams (Edwards, 2021; VoiceThread, 2020). The presenter can arrangement comments in order of their choosing and reply to comments left by student or other individuals (VoiceThread, 2020). VoiceThread is a great companion to Zoom to enhance pedagogical experiences.

Warnings:

VoiceThread has many of the same warning and drawbacks as other platforms such as Zoom since they can be utilized simultaneously. A drawback of VoiceThread is that students under 18 cannot open an educational account (Edwards, 2021; VoiceThread, 2020). Only a teacher with an educational license can create an account to invite students (VoiceThread, 2020). The platform tools are limited with the free account; however, I was able to create a slideshow with annotation and video that could receive comments and educator feedback.

Safeguards:

CTG Tech (2021) provided some safeguards which include:

·         Secure your account with a strong password.

·         Do not make VoiceThread links, personal meeting ID, or conference links public.

·         Only utilize official app.

·         Do not share password.

·         Limit who can access account.

Educators should provide this list of safeguards to parents and students. Additional safeguards should be added for classroom use of any technology which include classroom rules for VoiceThread, how to block offenders, how to report scams or offenders, commenting conduct, student-to-teacher feedback, class scheduling, and so on.

Link to the app and/or other helpful resources:

https://voicethread.com/howto/registering-for-a-new-account-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6seITAPzd4

https://www.macalester.edu/responsive-teaching-and-learning/teaching/teaching-with-voicethread/

Include the link to your findings:

https://mynewblogforedu271.blogspot.com/

 

  

 

 

 

 

References 

Birdsong et. al. (2020, March 7). Is whatsapp safe for kids? here's what parents need to know. McAfee Blogs. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/family-safety/is-whatsapp-safe-for-kids-heres-what-parents-need-to-know/.

Correia, A., Liu, C., & Xu, F. (2020). Evaluating videoconferencing systems for the quality of the educational experience. Distance Education, 41(4), 429-452. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1821607

CTG Tech. (2021, May 13). Ensure your safety while connected on Zoom meetings. CTG Tech | Managed IT Services Provider DFW & Amarillo TX. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.ctgmanagedit.com/dangers-of-zoom-meetings/.

De Leyn, T., De Wolf, R., Vanden Abeele, M., & De Marez, L. (2021). In-between child’s play and teenage pop culture: Tweens, TikTok & privacy. Journal of Youth Studies, , 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.1939286

Edwards, L. (2021, June 2). What is voicethread for education? TechLearningMagazine. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-voicethread-for-education.

Greenhow, C., & Askari, E. (2017). Learning and teaching with social network sites: A decade of research in K-12 related education. Education and Information Technologies, 22(2), 623-645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-015-9446-9

Indu. (2018). Implications of social media (facebook and whats app) among the students of maharishi dayanand university, rohtak. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 9(1), 50-52.

Madumere, C. P., Ekwelem, V., & Anike, C. J. (2020). Social media and smart phone usage among students in Nigeria: The implications to their academic activities. Library Philosophy and Practice, , 1-23.

Microsoft Support. (2021, August 4). How to help keep your Microsoft account safe and secure. Microsoft Support. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://support.microsoft.com/en/help/12410.

Nobre, C. (2018, October 10). Zoom A user-friendly video conference tool great for online lessons. The Digital Teacher | Cambridge English. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://thedigitalteacher.com/reviews/zoom#description.

Smuskiewicz, A. J. (2020). tiktok.

Thurrott, S. (2019, October 21). What is TikTok? and is it safe? A guide for clueless parents. NBCNews.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-tiktok-guide-clueless-parents-ncna1066466.

VoiceThread. (2020, June 13). Zoom + VoiceThread. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6seITAPzd4.

Zoom Video Communications. (2021). Video conferencing, web conferencing, webinars, screen sharing. Zoom Video. Retrieved September 17, 2021, from https://explore.zoom.us/docs/en-us/education.html.