The Ecologies of Virtual Work
From ElateWiki
There are a number of technologies that are used for virtual work spaces--for collaborations, multi-way communications, record-keeping, digital information dissemination, and planning. So-called virtual work ecologies are usually unique to the various projects. There may be "cobbled" technologies to meet particular work-team needs, such as the use of Web phone and a wiki site to add greater connectivity and information dissemination.
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[edit] Content Types
Virtual work ecologies can maintain and distribute virtually any sort of digital file. These include text, slideshows, audio, video, multimedia, animations, and games.
[edit] Interactive Spaces
These may also capture and archive all sorts of interactions between team members, from asynchronous messages to synchronous chats and virtual events.
[edit] Early Acclimating
For team members new to virtual teaming, it may help to get them acclimated through early (and easy) assignments, so they may get some early successes. Many times, virtual team members will not even go online until the first deadline, which may be a little late by then. There may have been missed messages or missed opportunities for the cross-fertilization of ideas and collaborating, with late starts.
[edit] Types of Virtual Work Ecology Technologies
Some learning / course management systems have the broad functionality for virtual teaming spaces. These may be off-the-shelf courseware products; custom-made, proprietary software programs; open-source spaces, and 3D immersive spaces. Or they may be wholly cobbled spaces that employ numerous types of social technologies. These may be in-house wikis.