Collaboration tools and platforms
– Offline
– Online

Ensuring clear lines of communication between team members is crucial in any group project. Failure to communicate can cause unnecessary delays, and overlap of work and potentially result in the termination of the project.

There are countless methodologies, tools, and platforms to facilitate collaboration and teamwork among individuals, departments, and organizations.
Some examples of offline approaches include paper documentation, face-to-face meetings, and standalone software.

Offline
Standalone software is typically used during face-to-face meetings to keep notes of minutes, action points, and schedules. Paper-based documentation can also be used to keep a physical paper trail.

Learning Activity 1
• Learners to:
– Work in your groups to find at least three examples of offline collaboration approaches and software (30 minutes).
– Note down an overview, the key advantages and disadvantages of each example (60 minutes).

Online
Through technological advancements, the options for working remotely have become more prevalent and in some professions, almost a necessity.
As an example, the Internet allows people from various geographical locations to communicate in real-time.

Learning Activity 2
• Learners to:
– Your team members look up examples of at least three online collaboration platforms and tools (30 minutes).
– Discuss in your teams the advantages and disadvantages of each of the identified examples in the context of a geographically distributed team (60 minutes).