Online meetings

Students having a meeting on zoom with their supervisor

When working collaboratively it is useful to have online meetings where you can make decisions, divide tasks and share progress. You may need to initially get in contact with each other via Canvas messages, especially if you have not already decided on how to keep in touch. When choosing the style of meetings you want to use, you will need to decide between synchronous meetings and or asynchronous meetings.

Synchronous meetings

Synchronous meetings mean you will all be logged in talking at the same time. Technologies like Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and Google Hangouts support this. To make the most of these meetings, everyone will need speakers and a microphone. If you choose to, you can also share webcams which can make communication feel more natural and human. If you have people in your group who are shy, they may just want to text type which is also fine.

Asynchronous meetings

Meeting asynchronously means that everyone will contribute at different times. Technologies like Canvas messages, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and iMessage support this. Other students in your group may have a preference for these kinds of meetings, especially if they have work or caring commitments.

When deciding which to choose, you will need to consider everyone's availability. If you cannot find a time everyone is available, you may need to have your meeting asynchronously. The technology you choose will also depend on the equipment everyone has available. For example, you cannot use FaceTime unless everyone has an Apple product.

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