Collaborative tools

Resources to help you work with other people

Best for 

• working with people virtually
• working with people in a different organisation
• working with people who work different shifts to you
• great for holding ideas, action and project plans and virtual discussions

Think about 

Is everyone you want to work with able to access the tools on their work computers?

Does the tool work for everyone; can those with additional needs fully access the tools you are using? 

How different people learn and engage. What is best for the group of people you are working with?

Do you need a text-based system, a visual based system, or a mixture of both? 

Resources 

IdeaBoardz

A team collaboration tool. It allows teams to collectively brainstorm, gather inputs, and reflect.

It is useful for teams that are distributed geographically. It is also handy for teams to collect inputs over a time period and then meet to discuss them.  

It allows users to add sticky notes to board. Users can make an unlimited number based on different topics. Within a board, users can add different columns to create subtopics. 

It is a great tool for teams as it allows users to virtually collaborate. Ideaboardz can support communication, collaboration, social knowledge construction, both within and beyond the physical office. It is completely free to use. 

Go to Ideaboardz.

Microsoft Teams

This is the default tool in the NHS but there are plenty of other things you can do with it other than video call and share screens, including co-authoring files in real time. 

The fine detail available will depend on your settings and is completely free to the end user if your organisation has set it up. 

Find out more about MS Teams.

Padlet

Whether blogging, bookmarking, or bolstering discussion, padlet can be used for all of this.  

Padlet has 3 vastly different layouts that convey information as a square board, a feed of information, or as an open canvas.  

You can utilise wallpapers as organizational tools, from a Venn Diagram to KWL chart, to a calendar, to a To-Do list. 

It can be used as a publishing tool or private notes app and is great  for sharing resources from an event.  

The first 3 padlet boards are free. 

Go to Padlet.

Trello

A great tool for project management. This platform can help a team to work more collaboratively and get work done faster. 

It has plenty of features like boards, lists, and cards that enable users to organize and prioritise projects in a flexible, fun, and rewarding manner.  

You can view the team's tasks and check the progress of what has been completed and what is in progress.

Users can add more details like comments, attachments, and due dates, among others, to make it easy to track and understand the project from beginning to end. 

Free to sign up. Go to Trello.

Further resources 

Collaborative Working in a Remote Team.

Learning Online: Communicating and Collaborating.