Functionality: ★★☆
- Scale:★★★
- Works Well. The tool can be scaled to accommodate any size class with the flexibility to create smaller sub-groups or communities of practice.
- Ease of Use:★★☆
- Minor Concerns. There are limited opportunities for personalization in terms of individual and group chats.
- Tech Support/Help Availability (for Instructors):★★☆
- Minor Concerns. Minor Concerns; No campus-wide technical support is available.
- Tech Support/Help Availability (for Students):★★☆
- Minor Concerns. Minor Concerns; No campus-wide technical support is available.
- Hypermediality :★★★
- Works Well. The tool allows users to communicate through different channels (audio, visual, textual) and allows for non-sequential, flexible/adaptive engagement with the material.
Accessibility: ★★★
- Accessibility Standards:★★★
- Works Well. The tool meets accessibility guidelines (i.e. W3C WCAG 2.0 standards)
- User-focused participation:★★★
- Works Well. The tool is designed to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning.
- Required Equipment:★★★
- Works Well. Proper use of the tool does not require equipment other than a computer and access to the internet.
Technical: ★★★
- Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS) :★★★
- Works Well. Works Well; The tool can be embedded (as an object via HTML code) or fully integrated (e.g. LTI-compliant tools) into an LMS while maintaining the full functionality of the tool.
- Operating Systems:★★★
- Works Well. Works Well; Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date operating system.
- Web Browser:★★★
- Works Well. Works Well; Users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to-date web browser.
- Additional Technical Requirements:★★★
- Works Well. Works Well; Users do not need to download additional software or browser extensions. Additional accounts or software is not required.
Mobile Design: ★★☆
- Access:★★☆
- Minor Concerns. The mobile version of this tool has very limited options. All the options can be accessed through a Windows or a Mac Version.
- Functionality:★☆☆
- Serious Concerns. There is a significant functional difference between the mobile and the desktop version. Very few options are available on the mobile version.
- Offline Access:★★☆
- Minor Concerns. This tool can allow users to read and reply to messages even in an offline mode. However, users need to be online to deliver the messages successfully.
Usage and Account Set Up: ★★☆
- Sign Up/Sign In:★☆☆
- Serious Concerns. All users need to create an account using an institutional email. It requires providing personal information which may be collected and/or shared.
- Cost of Use:★☆☆
- Serious Concerns. It costs around 4 USD per month per user.
- Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data :★★★
- Works Well. Users can archive, save, or import and export content or activity data in a variety of formats (some of which are open standards).
- Data Privacy and Ownership:★★★
- Works Well. Users maintain ownership and copyright of their intellectual property/data; the user can keep data private and decide if/how data is to be shared.
Social Presence: ★★★
- Collaboration :★★★
- Works Well. The tool has the capacity to support a community of learners through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users.
- User Accountability:
- Not Applicable. Not Applicable
- Diffusion:★★☆
- Minor Concerns. This tool is not popular, and most of the learners may not be not familiar with the tool.
Teaching Presence: ★★★
- Facilitation:★★★
- Works Well. The tool has easy-to-use features that would significantly improve an instructor’s ability to be present with learners via active management, monitoring, and engagement.
- Customization:★★★
- Works Well. Tool is adaptable to its environment: can be easily customized to suit the classroom context and targeted learning outcomes.
- Learning Analytics:
- Not Applicable. Not Applicable
Cognitive Presence: ★★☆
- Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s):★★☆
- Minor Concerns. This tool enables the users to connect one-on-one to engage in the targeted cognitive tasks.
- Higher Order Thinking:
- Not Applicable. Not Applicable
- Feedback on Learning:★★☆
- Minor Concerns. Students can get feedback by using this tool. However, there is no opportunity to track the performance.