Recently I was asked to think about what would be the online "tool" to invest in for online learning?  Now as we all know there are many different options that are available to choose from.  So this is sort of a challenging question.  So I started thinking about this and how I would go about answering this question.  Of course experience with the use of different tools can play a big part in this decision process.  So I have used some tools such as Blackboard, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, Moodle, Microsoft's IT Academy Online Learning Program training and other various tools which all have their pros and cons.

This question is hard to answer for many reasons.  One reason that comes to mind is that l I think with technology there is never one "catch-all" tool that does it all for everyone.  Sometimes there may be a mixture of different components and pieces that help to achieve a common goal.  Another reason may be that it depends on the subject being taught.  For example an online tool(s) that is preferred for teaching Calculus may not be conducive for teaching Biology.

In any event this question still needs to be answered.  So I thought to myself I should pose this question to a larger audience who may have valuable experience in the online arena to help answer this question.  Whether you are or have been an instructor, student or participant in online learning your input is valuable.  If you had your choice of one online tool what tool would you invest in for online learning?  If you feel inclined to do so please share your thoughts by commenting below.  You have to be logged into myUMBC as well as a member of the CPS myUMBC group to comment.  If you need help in joining the group please see this web page:  https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/FACk .

Thank you for your time.

-Steve