WeVideo

WeVideo (https://www.wevideo.com) is an online, flash-based video editing tool. Users shoot digital video through mobile or handheld recorders and then upload files to the WeVideo site for in-browser editing. WeVideo allows users to cut, copy, and paste segments; add text, visual effects, and audio; invite others to collaborate or comment; and publish to various video-sharing and social networking sites. Instructors might use WeVideo to produce content for classes, and students could create, edit, and distribute individual or group projects. Sign-up is required for a free account, and payment is required for some advanced features.

Yammer

Yammer (https://www.yammer.com/) is a private and secure social networking tool designed specifically for businesses and organizations. Users are automatically added to a social network when they enroll using their organization’s email address (e.g. @uwm.edu). Instructors could use Yammer to cultivate a social learning environment that lives apart from public sites like Facebook, and students could join Yammer to share class- and campus-wide information and to collaborate in an online environment. Free apps for the iPhone and other mobile devices are available.

Nabble

Nabble (http://www.nabble.com/) allows users to create free discussion forums, mailing lists, photo galleries, blogs, and more using a simple online interface. Nabble generates embed code for the above tools, so instructors could invite outside speakers to participate in public discussion forums within a restricted learning management system, and students could use several of the Nabble tools for collaborative work.

Wunderlist

Wunderlist (https://www.wunderlist.com/) is a free application that allows users to create and share to-do lists, manage projects, and stay organized. Instructors could develop and distribute a checklist of tasks and due dates for students, and students could use Wunderlist to keep on top of their assignments and homework. Wunderlist is available on the web and on PC, Mac, Droid, iPhone, and iPad, and it can be synced across all devices.

Evernote

Evernote (http://www.evernote.com/) is a free, cross-platform and web-based organizational application (similar to Microsoft OneNote) that allows users to conveniently save notes, photos, and links to webpages. Notes can be arranged into searchable folders, can be shared with colleagues for collaboration, and are accessible virtually anywhere via an internet connection. Instructors could invite students to share research and assignments via Evernote, and students could use Evernote to catalog notes or work on group projects. Evernote is available on almost any machine or device—PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, Droids, etc. Here is a sample screenshot of Evernote:

NowComment

NowComment (http://nowcomment.com/) is an online annotation tool that allows users to upload text documents (.pdf files must be converted) for comment and conversation. Instructors could use this application to give feedback on student work or to solicit peer review comments from students. Login is required, but accounts are free.

Wallwisher

Wallwisher (http://www.wallwisher.com) is an online bulletin board that allows users to share ideas on a single canvas using sticky notes. Here is a sample screenshot:

SharedCopy

SharedCopy (http://sharedcopy.com/) provides users with the ability to annotate any published webpage. SharedCopy is particularly valuable for collaborative projects. The following video outlines its features:

TitanPad

TitanPad (http://titanpad.com) is a simple, web-based word processor comparable to Google Docs. Writers can collaborate synchronously or asynchronously, and TitanPad offers the Time Slider feature, which allows users to track changes made throughout the creation of a document.

Stixy

Stixy (http://www.stixy.com/) is a web-based bulletin board that allows users to collaborate in real-time by adding notes, files, and images to a virtual canvas. Stixy includes a calendar and to-do list to help with organization. With a free account, users can create as many boards as needed.

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a web-based, collaborative discussion tool.  Users can create a multimedia slideshow of videos, images, text, sound, and recordings of their own voices. Then, users can invite participants to respond to the slideshow with voice recordings, video, "doodles" of handwriting directly on the slides, and typed comments.  VoiceThreads are easy-to-use and can be embedded into Desire2Learn.

Instructors can use VoiceThread in an online environment to run asynchronous discussions about particular texts, images, or videos.  Students can upload documents for other members of the class to comment on as part of a collaborative writing process.  

Click on http://voicethread.com/ to see what others have done with VoiceThread.  If you want to use this teaching tool, you’ll need to sign up for a free account.  Here’s a sample that provides more information on VoiceThread:

Crocodoc

Crocodoc is a web-based tool that allows users to provide visual and written feedback on online documents, including Word, PowerPoint, and PDF files.  Once a document is uploaded, users are provided with a URL to share with collaborators and are later able to delete documents (with a free account).  Users can add comments to a document as well as highlight or strikeout text for real-time collaboration.  Crocodoc also provides embeddable code for easy integration into Desire2Learn and the ability to download documents after being commented upon.

Crocodoc can be used as a means to provide peer feedback on drafts of essays or as a way to collectively discuss a document both synchronously and asynchronously.  Members of university organizations can collaborate on documentation easily, quickly, and, if necessary, privately.

Please visit http://crocodoc.com to try it out.  You can sign up for a free account, or you can simply upload a document to get started.  You will find a sample Crocodoc file below.  Feel free to edit away!

Prezi

Prezi is a dynamic, web-based presentation tool.  Prezi allows users to create non-linear presentations on a single canvas where viewers can navigate both spatially and sequentially.  Users can easily embed into Prezi images, links to the web, and YouTube and flash (.flv) videos.  Prezi users can also present remotely as well as invite others to work together in real-time on the same project.

Prezi's visual style provides the opportunity for learners to engage with course content in new, innovative ways rather than in a limited, slide-based manner like PowerPoint.  Students can click and zoom anywhere on the canvas at any time to quickly view and/or review the content that is most important to them.  Because Prezi is relatively easy to use, instructors can ask students to develop Prezis individually or as a group working collaboratively.  Prezi, like YouTube, provides the .html code for each presentation.

Go to the following address to create a Prezi: http://prezi.com.  Although you can view sample presentations without a username simply by clicking on the “Explore” tab at the top of the page, you will need to sign up for a free account in order to develop a Prezi.  The “Learn” tab provides a number of very useful tutorials to help you get started.  Feel free to check out the sample Prezi below: