2. Collaboration tools
- Discussion tools
- Messaging platforms
- Collaborative documents
- Online meetings and videoconferencing
- Tools to schedule team meetings
- Tools for team tasks
There are many great online tools that can help you collaborate on assignments and projects.
Check the privacy settings of any tool that you use so that you limit the availability of your data. Try to lock access so that only your group can see any activity.
Email is the most common form of communication used at university and in the workplace.
Use your UQ email for any collaboration you do as part of your university program. This includes emails sent to your university peers, professors, and staff members. More information on writing professional emails is addressed later in this module.
The Use UQ Systems module has information about your student email.
Discussion tools
Several university courses use discussion boards to allow students to collaborate with other students and staff members by posting or answering questions. This is a form of active learning that allows students to learn from different perspectives.
| Platform | Discussion threads for organised conversations | App for mobile devices | File sharing | Other features | Limitations | Help and tutorials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Discussion Board | Yes | No | Yes | Create categories for different discussion threads | Ed Discussion Board Quick Start Guide | |
| Learn.UQ (BlackBoard) Discussion Board | Yes | No | Yes | Only instructors can set up group discussions | Using the BlackBoard Discussion Board | |
| Padlet | No | Yes | Yes | Can be used as part of a live discussion | Does not save automatically; you need to bookmark the Padlet to save the workspace | Padlet via UQ Guide: Using Padlet |
Messaging platforms
Instant messaging platforms facilitate quick and effective communication between members. Some platforms allow you to share and store files so that you can refer to them at any time.
| Platform | Discussion threads | Free account available | File sharing | File storage | Other features | Limitations | Help and tutorials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams | Yes | Free for UQ students as part of Microsoft 365 | Yes | Yes | Secure; searchable message archives; configure notification, integrates with the Microsoft suite | Does not integrate with Google Drive, but you can embed Google Drive links | Get started with Microsoft Teams |
| Slack | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Integrates with Google Drive and many other apps; searchable message archives; configure notifications | Getting started with Slack | |
| Messenger | No but you can directly reply to a message | Yes | Yes | Yes (stored within the chat) | Searchable message archives; configure notifications, available as a desktop app | App is only available in certain locations | How to start a group chat on Messenger |
| No but you can directly reply to a message | Yes | Yes | Yes (stored within the chat) | Searchable message archives; configure notifications, available as a desktop app | Get started with WhatsApp | ||
| No but you can directly reply to a message | Yes | Yes | Yes | The WeChat Chatterbox Blog outlines products and features | About WeChat |
Let us know what messaging platform you like to use in the following form! The form is set to anonymous. We will get your response data but we won’t know who has submitted it.
Check out the responses so far!
Collaborative documents
Collaborative documents allow multiple members to work simultaneously on a single document. This facilitates easy brainstorming sessions and an easy division of work as the document gets updated in real-time and provides details on the collaborator.
| Platform | Upgraded account available via UQ | Free account available | Limitations | Simultaneous editing | File storage | Export function | Help and Tutorials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Drive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint | Yes as part of Microsoft 365 | Yes for OneDrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Microsoft Office Help and Training | |
| Google Drive - Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Get started with Google Drive | |
| Canva | No | Yes | To access all the elements, templates, and features, you require the paid Pro account. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Get started with Canva |
Online meetings and videoconferencing
Virtual work meetings have become the new norm in a post-COVID world. At UQ, Zoom is the main platform used to deliver online sessions.
| Platform | Free account available | App for mobile devices | File sharing, screensharing and chat function | Whiteboard Tools | Limitations | Tutorials and Help |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams | Yes, upgraded account available via UQ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Get started with Microsoft Teams | |
| Zoom | Yes, upgraded account available via UQ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Getting started with Zoom | |
| Google Meet | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Google Meet training and help |
Tools to schedule team meetings
It can be tricky to find a common time to have your team meetings. Here are some tools that can help you schedule a team meeting at a convenient time for all team members.
| Tools | Free account | Useful features | Tutorials and help |
|---|---|---|---|
| When2meet | Yes | Add in preferred time slots into the calendar | About When2meet |
| Doodle Poll | Yes, but there is a paid version | Group polling to assess availability | Getting started with Doodle |
| Calendly | Yes | Interactive customised calendar, send calendar links to people you need to meet with, preferred time polling for scheduling group meetings | Getting started with Calendly |
Tools for team tasks
These tools can help you perform group tasks.
| Tool | Purpose | Free account available | Useful features | Tutorials and help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trello | Project organisation | Yes | Upload files, link to Google Drive, create checklists, track team progress | Getting started with Trello |
| Tricider | For easy group decision making | Yes, you don’t need to register to use it | Ask a question, ask others to submit their ideas and then vote on responses. Takes away the need for back-and-forth discussion via messaging or meeting up. Can be anonymous | Online voting and decision making demo (YouTube, 1m27s) |
| Reasons.io | For argument mapping | Yes | Create, edit, share, and export argument maps. Register to save maps and share the link with your group | Getting started with Reasons.io |
