Currently in my online courses, all of the communication takes place asynchronously. There is a lot of emailing, announcements, and discussion board posts, but never anything "live". A couple of tools that could change this would be texting, chatting (using the built in tool in MyMathLab), Skype (either for instant messaging or for video conferencing), Google+ hangouts, or Blackboard Collaborate.
If I were to start using texting as a form of communication, I think one of the first steps would be to set up a number with Google Voice. This way I could get student texts either from my computer at work or home as well as on my phone, while keeping my personal number private. This could provide a nice option for quick, easy questions (need quiz reset, site down, etc.) but probably wouldn't be beneficial for asking actual content questions.
Skype or Google+ provide some free options for video chatting, but with some limitations on the number of people that can participate (Skype only allows one person for free and Google+ can do up to 10). Both work on phones and computers, both android and apple, so there is a lot of flexibility on how students choose to participate, but they would probably need a camera and microphone.
The option that I plan to actually pursue using is Blackboard Collaborate. ICC is currently paying for 10 log-ins, and not many people are using them yet, so I have my own log in for hosting sessions. There is a virtual whiteboard space that is perfect for writing out problems, as well as the ability to take students to our course site (or other websites) to explain features and resources. Students can type in the textbox or use their microphone to ask questions, as well as polling options and virtual hand raising. The one downside is that it is separate from our MyMathLab course site, and the first time I used it I had some technical issues getting things set-up. I'm hoping to do a doodle poll at the beginning of the semester to find out what days and times work best for students, and then to offer sessions every couple of weeks for optional review and practice problems.
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