Tools for Reflection, Feedback and Networking. TitanPad review

TitanPad

1. Name of the Web 2.0 Tool: TitanPad

2. URL of the Tool: www.titanpad.com

3. Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Feedback tool, networking/social tool

4. What is TitanPad?
 Titanpad is a real time online document editing and collaboration tool. It provides a free collaborative space where a team can work on one document simultaneously. It is based on a similar platform called "EtherPad" now discontinued. A user creates a new document or uploads an existing one into titanpad and all changes from the collaborators are tracked in a timeline. It also provides realtime chat for realtime communication making this a simple but powerful collaboration web 2.0 tool.

5. How does TitanPad work?
   When you first go to the website you have the option of creating an account or proceed as a free user. A unique web address is created that can be shared for online collaboration. If many people are on the same document at once you can chat with them to make the experience more interactive. Each user can pick a color so you know who is making what within the document.

6. What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)
 No skills are necessary to use this tool besides some computer knowledge. The site is very easy to use.

7. How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)

1. goto www.titanpad.com
2. Click on "create a public pad?

3. Wait for the site to connect

4. On the small right upper screen type your name and select a color

5. Begin typing your document.

6. Alternatively you can import a document (HTML,pain text, microsoft word, PDF, bookmark file, or open document). This option is under the import/export menu at the top.

7. revisions are saved automatically but when you are done hit "save" if you see this option highlighted on the top menu

Editing text

8. At the top of the editing screen there are several options to format the text, change color font, indent, and undo. This works similar as other word editing software.

Inviting other to participate

9. On the small top right window there is an "invite option"

10. This will pop up a window with 2 options:

    a. paste the link over email or IM

    b. send email invitations

Chatting

11. on the bottom right there is large chat window. This works like other online chats. You can leave messages or chat in real time with other participants

8. Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).

A) brainstorming projects: When starting a new project all people involved can use titanpad to put their ideas into the pad. Collaborators can comment and discuss about the many ideas
B) editing manuscripts before publication: Titanpad may not be ideal for professional editing and writing but it does its job when collaborators want to edit and discuss a scientific manuscript in realtime. If you couple this with videoconferencing the experience is amazing. Collaborations can happen anytime with anyone all over the globe.
C) give feedback to students: If students are given an assignment using titanpad the teacher can leave feedback even in realtime.

This is an example of a TitanPad project I worked in. Here is the link to the entire titanpad project.

9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a formal or informal teaching environment?

  The main advantage is that is free and very simple to use. It has a chat option where to leave messages and collaborate real time. You can track your changes with the time slider. The disadvantage is that nobody knows how long this projects are kept on the titanpad servers. There is no way to format text beyond the given option. For example you cannot create tables or embed html code. I also encountered a formatting problem when importing a word document. You cannot export the document with the user color tracking. Finally, there is no security password request making security an issue.

10. Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?
  I would definitely recommend this tool for simple projects that do not require major text editing and if not sharing sensitive information.

Here are other interesting collaboration tools. Some are similar and others better (I tried to stay away from google docs since most people may be familiar with it).

Primary Pad - Superfunky Padding
web-based word processor designed for schools that allows pupils and teachers to work together in real-time. Same etherpad platform
http://primarypad.com/

MeetingWords: Realtime Collaborative Text Editing
simple text editor for the web. Just like titanpad using the same etherpad platform
http://meetingwords.com/

Team WhiteBoarding with Twiddla

This is a great collaboration site. Try it!. Painless Team Collaboration. Mark up websites, graphics, and photos, or start brainstorming on a blank canvas. Browse the web with your friends or make that conference call more productive than ever. No plug-ins, downloads, or firewall voodoo - it's all here, ready to go when you are. Browser-agnostic, user-friendly.
http://www.twiddla.com/

Etherpad: highly customizable Open Source online editor 

is a highly customizable Open Sourceonline editor providing collaborative editing in reallyreal-time. Another one just like titanpad using the same etherpad platform
http://etherpad.org/index.html

Vyew. Share your view.
Vyew allows you to meet and share content in real-time or anytime. Upload images, files, documents and videos into a room. Users can access and contribute at anytime. This one does the same thing as titanpad but with a nicer platform and more options
http://vyew.com/

Padlet. Easiest way to collaborate in the world
Provides a collaboration space (walls) that allow text and multimedia sharing.
http://padlet.com

Stormboard. Online Brainstorming & Collaboration
Brainstorm, organize, prioritize and act on the best ideas, in the same room or around the world, on a realtime sticky note whiteboard.
http://www.stormboard.com