Creating an online collaborative space for your group


Introduction

This article gives a brief description of what an Online Collaborative Space is and how to create one.

Explanation

"Collaborative Space" is a term that describes locations where two or more people meet to work together on projects and initiatives. Online collaborative spaces represent cloud-based work areas where the members can share documents, electronic media, chat, meet online, schedule events, and perform other actions that support their collaborative efforts.

What tools do online collaborative spaces provide?

In general, online collaborative spaces provide the following tools either directly or through integrations with other products:

How do I create an online collaborative space at Virginia Tech?

Each of the following Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors provide tools for creating online collaborative spaces.

If you are the owner or team lead, it is your decision regarding which tool set your team will use to collaborate. However, we do recommend when making this decision that you consider what tools the members of your team are already using to do their jobs. If you find that most of them are working in a single environment, such as Microsoft 365, then you should select that environment for your Online Collaborative Space. On the other hand, if your users are coming from multiple environments and a single tool is not an option, then you could look at providing a hybrid solution that leverages tools from all three environments.