Collaboration tools are software or apps, people can use to collaborate with their teammates in personal or academic projects or joined tasks. If you are thinking, how collaboration tools helps students? Well, tools focused on collaboration are mainly used to communicate, share and inform vital information and changes. Discuss new ideas as a group without the inconvenience of setting a location to meet up and overlapping schedules with your teammates. Instead, you can communicate with your team members in the convenience of your home by use online collaboration tools for students. Some of the best known online collaboration tools for students are infolio, Balloon, Constructor, etc.
Websites or software used to collaborate or connect with a large group of people for collective learning, studying or teaching are also known to be called collaborative tools. Examples of such tools are like Google Docs and Google Sheets, where a group of people can share a file like .docx and .xlsx and collaboratively work on it together. Websites or apps like Google Classroom or Zoom can also be called an online collaborative tool, but these are mostly for educators. Such websites or software are also called interactive tools for online learning. These are some of the ways people interpret online collaboration tools for students.
But here we are not discussing tools for educators. We are discussing student collaboration tools, where students can come together for group projects and communicate with ease. We will avoid some well known collaboration tools such as Microsoft Team, Google Hangout or even Discord.
What is a Digital tool?
Not to be confused by collaborative tools, as collaborative tools are mostly dominantly for collaboration or easy communication integrated with digital tools. Digital tools are like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint or WPS Office that have a vast variety of digital tools for students. Some online collaborative digital tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Excel or Google Excel, can be used to collaborate and create among the team members. But these tools cannot be used for clear communication and discussions.
Best online collaboration tools for students
If you are looking for collaboration tools where you can communicate, assign, track and have large group discussions then this is the right place for you. Here is the list of some of the best online collaboration tools for students.
Infolio
Infolio is a management and team collaboration website. It is user-friendly and free with many tools and features to increase one’s productivity. Especially by efficiently connecting every group member together to discuss, plan and arrange. Features such as Kanban to overlook projects on a single transparent board, Project chat to assign a dedicated social network for every project, rich task detail with customizable fields, and collaboration space with team view so that you can monitor your team members’ tasks.
Balloon
Balloon is a collaborative platform that takes the decisions taken by majority or peer pressure as unjust. By eliminating such practices they are promoting individual voices to come together, discuss and make a decision as a group. Balloon is a replacement for meetings, where some voices can be drowned out, giving team members a chance to voice their opinions. Perform market research by discussing with customers, partners and users. Align the team to a specific task and create a separate communication line, future planning and so much more. It can be used via web browser only.
Edworking
Edworking is a multiple platform software that prioritizes remote workers. It can also be used as an online collaboration tool for students as it has features such as video call and personal chat to always stay in touch with your team members. Organizing all your project documents in one place for easy access and keeping every member in the loop. You perform sales/marketing tasks, business tasks, engineering tasks, creative writing and so much more. Edworkin is available in apps for collaboration in the classroom as well, available in Android and iOS.
Constructor
Constructor is a lightweight collaboration platform especially created for software development students or workers in mind, working together on a project. Organize discussions topic wise so as to keep every member in the project informed. The ability to see the progress or problem your team members are facing. With an easy user interface which keeps your team organized, motivated and productive. It is only available in the web browser.
Taskade
Dominantly a team management or personal management tool it can also be used as a collaborative tool. With features such as planning and organizing the team’s daily task to work on progressively. Communicate with your team members with built-in chat, screen-sharing and video conferencing on every project or task. Manage task completion by calendar view for easy tracking of due dates and making one work more effectively and efficiently. Taskade is available in various platforms such as web browsers, Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux as well making it easier to stay connected with your team via any device or platform available on hand with you.
NowComment
NowComment is a collaborative website where you can express your interest via texts, images and videos. Discussion on books, public documents, law, business and so much more. Create a group with your friends or team to keep the conversation flow going and the ideas growing. This can increase the innovativeness of your team members exponentially. This can also be considered as one of many digital online tools for students as it can be used for microlearning as well. Unfortunately, NowComments is only available on web browsers.
Reality task
Reality task is an online collaboration tool with hyperfocus on management. With amazing color coordination organization to indicate tasks “To-do”, “In-Progress”, “In-Review” and “Done” making it clear for the user to tackle the task they want. Collaborate with your teammates with ease by sharing a collection or using SharePlay during FaceTime calls. It is only available in iOS or macOS only. Nevertheless, it is a great platform for management and collaboration for the Apple users out there.
Agorakit
Agorakit is a student collaboration tool for collaborative discussion by creating groups where people can collectively discuss their interests, organize events, store files and complete tasks together. It can also be used as a platform for team building to bring your team together and make them more efficient. You can set a collaborative calendar to each group, geographically mark locations of people or events on a map. Agorakit is only available on web browsers.
Nozbe
Nozbe is a management application for projects by making it easy to communicate with your team without the inconvenience of multiple emails, messages and tasks. Organize every communication, comment and message projectwise so you are unlikely to miss any discussion or conversation with your team members. This helps you save time giving you more time to actually work, also making it easy to share tasks among your team members. This can also help you conduct fewer and more productive meetings. Nozbe is available in Android, iOS, macOS, and web browsers.
Range
Range is a collaborative tool to bring communication to one place to save time, making the conversation transparent and easy to flow among your team members. Connect to other popular digital tools such as Google Calendar, Google Duo, Dropbox, as well as Microsoft Team. Integrate your files to Range and work efficiently without the inconvenience of connecting to multiple platforms. Range is available in Android, iOS, macOS, and web browsers.
CA Flowdock
CA Flowdock or just Flowdock where CA stands for Collaboration Aligned, is a collaboration tool to make the conversation flow and work productively. With real-time team chat for an entire organization, you chat with anyone never missing any important information. Organize different teams and converse with them separately, integrate your inbox so that all emails or messages will be collected in one place for easy reach to avoid missing any important discussion. Flowdock is available in macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and can be used in a web browser as well.
Slack
Slack is a collaborative platform with integrated workspace to connect to other digital tools. Bring your team together and organize them by projects or teams and work without the inconvenience of navigating to multiple platforms. Communicate with your team members easily by sending quick messages, short audios or video clips. You can also hop on a huddle to discuss anything live. Slack is available in macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and can be used in a web browser as well.
These are some of the, carefully picked, online collaboration tools for students, some of them with mobile apps for collaboration in the classroom to keep you connected and informed so that you don’t miss out on any important discussions or conversations. With the integration technology you connect to any digital tools for students as well. As pointed out previously this list is for students but these platforms can easily be used by professionals as well. Hence, some of these applications, if not all, are used by professionals in Fortune 500 companies as well. These applications are focused solely on conversations, communications or discussions among team members on projects, study groups or discussions on mutual interest to increase student collaboration. Using these platforms you cut down the amount of time needed in meetings, physical or virtual. You can also complete your task remotely without the inconvenience of leaving the house and traveling to a destination which takes time as well. That being said, collaboration tools are also helpful in keeping track of multiple conversation threads and organizing them under one project so that you will not miss any conversation or discussion. Read the descriptions for every platform thoroughly to pick the right collaborative tool for you as there are collaborative tools specifically created for certain professions. Using these profession specific platforms can make you more productive and efficient.
Thus these are some of the most effective collaboration tools to increase productivity and be more efficient.
