Building a social learning environment - for free or at low cost
Inside Learning Technologies Magazine

Part 1 - Using free public social media tools, October 2009
Part 2 - Using Google tools, November 2009
Part 3 - Using free, open source social engine, Elgg, January 2010

CHART COMPARISON OF 3 DIFFERENT WAYS

The following chart compares the 3 different ways of building a social learning environment as described in the three articles in the series for Inside Learning Technologies magazine above
 

	Free public tools	Google tools	Elgg
1: Social Networking	Facebook, LinkedIn Ning	Orkut, Google Groups	profiling, relationship building, open/closed groups
2: Tagging content	within each of the tools		across the site
3: Social bookmarking	Delicious, Diigo	Google Bookmarks	personal, group and site bookmarking
4: File-sharing	YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Photobucket, Slideshare, Prezi, Screencast.com, Screentoaster	Google Video, YouTube Picasa, Google Docs Google Calendar Google Maps	upload/share files embed resources in web/blog pages
5: Communication	Skype Dimdim YahooMail	Gmail, Google Talk	internal messaging chat, group forums
6. Collaboration	Bubble.us, Wetpaint, Etherpad, Udutu	Google Sites Google SideWiki	wikis
7: Blogging	Wordpress	Blogger	personal and group blogs
8: Podcasting	iTunes, Audacity	Google Base	upload podcasts audio player
9: RSS Feeds	Bloglines	Google Reader	store and read internal and external RSS feeds
10: Micro-blogging	Twitter	Jaiku	internal updates can be sent to Twitter
Integration	Netvibes Netvibes for Enterprises	iGoogle Google Apps Google Wave.	seamless interface dashboard menu bar