Online Meetings
Introduction
Regardless of whether you are teaching a face-to-face class, a fully online class, or a hybrid between the two, it is important to know what tools are out there for you to use and to know the features, advantages, benefits, and limitations of each tool. This page serves to help you navigate through the entire online meetings toolkit.
Available Tools List
Telephone: a system for transmitting voices over a distance - but you already knew that!
Blackboard Collaborate: provides a simple and reliable virtual classroom solution to power your online teaching and web conferencing needs.
Cisco Webex: virtually meet with other people, without leaving your home or office
Microsoft Teams (formally Skype for Business): Host Meetings. Instant Messaging. Call From Anywhere. Cloud Phone System. Video Conferencing. App Integrations.
Zoom: Set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing, and other collaborative capabilities.
Features, Advantages, Benefits, Limitations
Technology Use Case
Limitations
Login
Features
Support
Resources
quick one to one, audio only
3 way conference call, audio only
not needed
requires little technological knowledge.
help@umaryland.edu
text chat, audio and/or video calls
Only can be used within UMB community
UMID login, available to all
help@umaryland.edu,
virtual class meetings, office hours
limited to people in a Blackboard course unless using the Guest Speaker function
available to all via integrated Blackboard courses/organizations, or via IDEA Team
allows easy breakout rooms
ideateam@ssw.umaryland.edu
virtual class meetings, webinars
difficult to save a recording for editing or future use, complicated user experience. Difficult to launch for some users.
UMID login, available to all
chat feature, video conferencing, telephone call in, mute/unmute
help@umaryland.edu
virtual class meetings, class check-ins, social gatherings, office hours, student group meetings, guest speakers, gatherings
recordings can only be saved to a computer
UMID login, available to faculty and staff
breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, low latency, easy user experience, chat feature, polls, video conferencing, Brady Bunch grid, telephone call in, mute/unmute all functionality, easy to setup, lots of features.
help@umaryland.edu