Connecting Learners and Educators: Skype, Google+ Hangouts, and WizIQ
Colleges and universities around the world have embarked on something of a technology arms race. Skype and Google+ Hangouts have quickly made their way into the educational mainstream. However, this whitepaper examines their suitability versus a dedicated educational product, WizIQ Virtual Classroom.
Problem with Skype and Google+ Hangouts
While Skype and Google+ have powerful business applications and great social potential, respectively, they are sorely lacking in features needed for serious distance education endeavors as well as the less formal interactions that students should be able to have with professors, teachers, TAs, tutors, and their peers. Skype only allows two people to talk at a time in the free version and mere conversation rarely equals collaboration. Google+ Hangouts on the other hand, can hold far more people than Skype can, it still doesn’t have the educational or collaborative components that many professors need.
How WizIQ is better
WizIQ, not surprisingly, fixes all of these problems and more as WizIQ was built from the ground up as an educational tool. It brings many e-teaching features to the table that both students and teachers will find valuable. The tools that were most useful in Skype and Google+ Hangouts are also included within WizIQ, in addition to many others especially suited to educational settings, whether K12, higher education, or Educational Service Providers (ESPs). No other application will do that at the price points available with WizIQ.
Why Skype and Google+ Hangouts are used
Many ESPs are relying on the two best known applications for business and social communication, i.e., Skype and Hangout although great education-specific tools are readily available, as they prefer to take the path of least resistance. For daily, non-educational uses, both Skype and Hangout are quite useful. Schools have the following train of thought: Skype and Google+ are used the most and therefore must be the best. And they’re free. ESPs, on the other hand, are in the business of making money and keeping overhead low. However, it’s not hard to look a bit further around the corner and find a very cost-effective solution for synchronous online education.
In order to understand how and why WizIQ is better than Skype and Google+ Hangouts in online education, it’s essential to compare their advantages and disadvantages. This whitepaper provides detailed comparison of all the features provided by Skype, Google+ Hangouts and WizIQ, and lets you choose the right learning solution for your classroom needs.
Download: "Connecting Learners and Educators: Skype, Google+ Hangouts, and WizIQ" to understand how WizIQ is a better choice for teachers than Skype and Google+ Hangouts as far as online education is concerned.
In order to understand how and why WizIQ is better than Skype and Google+ Hangouts in online education, it’s essential to compare their advantages and disadvantages. This whitepaper provides detailed comparison of all the features provided by Skype, Google+ Hangouts and WizIQ, and lets you choose the right learning solution for your classroom needs.