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5.6. Alternate Communication Resources
Alternate Communication Resources
We strongly recommend communicating within the Brightspace learning environment. It is a central source for students and instructors and it documents all course activity.
With that said, we learned in the Spring of 2020, not all teaching and learning was planned by instructors or students to be "online" learning. Due to a rapid shift to online instruction, we encourage instructors to use tools and resources that give them the clearest path to major objectives with a minimal learning curve for them and their students. The intent of this page is to share some popular choices that are typically easy to use and have a low cost. Your institution may have access to site licenses to other products you should consider.
Google Voice
Why use Google Voice? Voice allows you to do the following:
- Choose a number you can share with anyone and control how you are contacted without compromising your regular phone number
- Read and search voice messages just like email
- Send text messages from your Voice number
Setup Google Voice Tutorial (new window)
Google Hangouts
Why use Google Hangouts? Hangouts allows you to do the following:
- Setup video conferencing to synchronously meet with individuals or a group
- Make voice calls
- Text or chat with individuals or a group
Google Hangouts – Getting Started (new window)
Screencast-O-Matic
Why use Screencast-O-Matic? Screencast-O-Matic is one of many recording tools that are free or free to try. Your computer or camera software may allow you to record videos too. This is a popular choice that allows you to do the following:
- Record yourself talking
- Record presentations or demonstrations displayed on your computer or both
- Save your recording to share asynchronously, which allows students to decide when to watch
- Save the file to your computer and upload it to Brightspace, YouTube or Screencast-O-Matic
- Add captions to make the content to the widest group of students
Welcome to Screencast-O-Matic (new window)