Online Office Hours

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The advantage of having office hours in any class is the ability to get real-time, individualized feedback from one's instructor in a way that email and Q &A forums simply can't replicate. Unfortunately, many online courses don't offer this quality of interaction to students. Below is a table listing some tools that you might consider using for offering real-time online office hours for your students. We've also included some limitations, advantages, and links to get started in choosing what tool might be the best for your course.

Study this table and consider what best fits your course.

Name	Positive Features	Limitations	Getting Started
Canvas Conferences	Included in Canvas No students accounts needed Unlimited participants	Quality No access on phones and tablets	Tutorial
Google Hangouts	Set up a static link Video, chat, and screenshare both directions Integration with other Google tools Excellent mobile apps Support groups up to 10	Students need a Google account	Tutorial Links to an external site.
Skype	Great audio and video quality Screensharing, chat, and file transfer Supports video groups up to 5 Mobile App available	Students need a skype account Requires personal email address to start account Need to work through a setup process with each student	Download and Install Links to an external site. Add Contacts Links to an external site.
Chat	In Canvas Simple to use	Text only Not private	Click "Chat" on the left
Phone	Easy to use	Audio Only One student at a time

Click "Mark as done" in the top corner and "next" to learn about asynchronous communication tools.

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