| Tools | Goals | Accessibility | Considerations | Examples and further resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discussing | ||||
BLOGS A web log is much like a journal, it allows date stamped individual multimedia posts of text, images and other digital files. Readers can leave comments to specific entries. |
Publish writing and images for discussion, typically in a chronological order. Use comment fields for peer feedback and discussion in response to individual entries. |
Require registration and a password for editing. Allow for multiple authors. Some allow password protection so that only authorized persons can read the blog. Publishing interface is web based, so editing can be done on any computer. Server space for images is often provided by blog services. Novices need some practice to get used to publishing posts. Reading posts and leaving comments is intuitive. |
Chronological quality does not lend itself to discussion threads. For multiple authors, a list needs to be created by the administrator. Because they are often used as personal journals, the public nature of blogs may get obscured. Privacy and copyright issues should be discussed. |
More on the topic |
DISCUSSION BOARDS An online bulletin board where users can leave messages, respond to messages and upload files |
Online threaded discussion of specific questions/topics. Maintain various discussions at the same time. |
Can be password protected or public. Web based interface accessible through any computer. Catalyst provides a step-by-step guide to set up the discussion board. Authors can be made anonymous. |
Information can get buried within threads.
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ELECTRONIC MAILING LISTS An email system that includes multiple recipients as part of a single email address. |
Quick message that may or may not require a response. Usually for immediate attention. Sending out mass updates, inquiries, etc. from one to many. |
Posting is as easy as sending an email. Set up requires entering emails of all list participants. Can be moderated by an administrator or remain unmoderated. Users can typically subscribe or unsubscribe to the list. |
Threaded discussion can get lost between emails and lack continuity. Too many mailing list messages can start to be ignored by recipients or be filtered to junk mail. Subject field in the email becomes an important way to get recipients’ attention. |
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| Sharing | ||||
IMAGE/VIDEO SHARING WEBSITES Websites that provide server space and an interface to upload files to a server. These files become accessible on the World Wide Web. |
Produce and publish original content. Store and exchange content with others.
|
Require registration and provide a step-by-step guide to uploading images/video. Many collections of content are free and public. Some collections can be password protected. Public content is accessible for browsing and downloading through any web browser. Some websites provide free software downloads to upload images in batches. |
Copyright issues should be addressed. |
More on the topic |
PODCASTS Files (such as MP3s) that are created and distributed over the internet. |
Create content that others can download. Distribute original content. Explore content created by others. |
For creation and distribution, server space is required to upload and host the podcasts. |
Make sure that everyone has access to the recording and viewing technologies, including high speed internet for large files. |
More on the topic |
WIKIS Web pages that can be edited through a web based interface. |
Collaboratively publish and edit with groups of people. |
Easy to access through any web browser. Require an initial registration and set up. Once set up is complete, editing is intuitive and much faster than creating a traditional website. |
Formatting done in other programs, such as Word, is lost when text is pasted into a wiki. When editing is open to all users information can get accidentally deleted, distorted or vandalized. |
More on the topic |
| Collecting/Organizing | ||||
ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIOS Web pages that allow users to showcase various digital artifacts and projects that they have created. |
Present various projects on one interconnected website. Compile multi-media projects and documents. Annotate and arrange documents in various folders and categories. |
Catalyst provides a step-by-step guide. A UW NetID is necessary to maintain a portfolio. Once it is published to the Web, anyone can see it. Users can also download the portfolio and host it on a different server. |
If the final website is intended to be a showcase for potential employers, students should think about how they will keep the portfolio after graduation. |
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TAGGING WEBSITES Websites that allow users to create keyword driven classifications of URLs, images, video, etc. |
To create a thematic collection of web based documents and bookmarks. To attach annotations and keywords to documents and bookmarks. To collect and share resources among a group and to make them public. |
Require an initial registration and set up. Accessible for uploading and downloading through any web browser. Many services provide limited free server space for images and video. The intuitive interface allows users to attach keywords and annotations. |
Tag (keyword) vocabulary is not controlled and categories can become inconsistent when assigning keywords to a large number of objects. It can be useful to determine a set keyword list ahead of time. |
More on the topic |
This chart was developed for CIDR by Irina Gendelman and Phil Edwards. It can also be accessed online in pdf. format at http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/TechnologyChart.pdf
For more information, see CIDR Bulletin 10(2), Creating Community With Digital Technologies, http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/EmergingTechnology.html Center for Instructional Development and Research, http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/ |
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