The best solutions for conducting online education

For those with a low budget

Zoom has a number of different packages with different pricing levels, depending on how many functions you need or how many participants and course providers you have. In the Basic package, which is free, you can have up to 100 participants, live chat, unlimited one-on-one meetings and group meetings. Screen sharing and whiteboarding, which is a board that both participants and instructors can write on, are practical features included in this package. Zoom also has something called Breakout Rooms. This feature allows you to divide the main meeting into up to 50 separate sessions. This means that group work is very simple with this application. This package will be optimal for smaller course providers, and possibly during a trial period.

For small businesses

For slightly larger providers, the Pro package is optimal, as you get all the functions described above. In addition, you get several administrative functions, such as assigning roles to the users, advanced meeting control, such as recording the meetings, turning the chat function on and off, and so on.

– $ 14.99/month per host

For larger providers

For medium to larger course providers, the Business package may be more appropriate. This facilitates a minimum of 10 hosts, for those who have several instructors that need administrator access. In addition, up to 300 participants can join. With this solution, you can integrate your own brand and other LTI integrations, such as Moodle or Canvas, to a greater extent.

– $ 19.99/month per host

For large companies

For the largest course providers, the Enterprise package is optimal. For this package you must have a minimum of 50 hosts and you can include up to 500 participants. Here you get all the features of the other packages, as well as bundle discounts on Webinars and ZoomRooms. Included here are also Executive Business Reviews that enable analytics and ROI tracking.

– $ 19.99/month per host

If you are unsure whether Zoom is the tool for you, you can start by trying the free version here .

Microsoft Teams – Perfect for those who have Microsoft 365

The next solution I want to present is Microsoft Teams. This is a platform for communication and collaboration.Through the application, you can use chat and video meetings, in addition to file storage and application integration. As a course provider, with this application you can get unlimited chat messages. In addition, you can have video calls both one-on-one and in groups. The application can also be integrated with other Microsoft-365 tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, so if you are already used to these tools, they can be easily coordinated.

Teams on a budget

In the free version of Teams, up to 300 users can use the application. As mentioned, integration with the other Microsoft applications is simple and participants can work together in shared Office documents in Teams. If the participants do not have Microsoft Office, they receive access to the online version through Teams. Included in this plan are audio and video calls online, as well as screen sharing.

For small to medium businesses

Office 365 Business Essentials is a step up from the free version. This includes the same features mentioned in the free plan above, but also has the desktop version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint included, as well as a function for scheduling meetings and recording them. A management tool for managing users is also included. This version also has a type of host function where those with larger courses can host online and video conferences for up to 250 people and online events for up to 10,000.

– Costs NOK 40.60 per month per user

For larger companies

Office 365 Business Premium includes everything mentioned in both the other plans. In addition to this, a planner for video calls and audio conferences is included. This version may have an unlimited number of users in addition to unlimited personal cloud storage that may be required for the larger course providers.

– Costs NOK 101.40 per month per user (annual subscription)

Microsoft Teams can be useful for companies that offer courses to their own employees, but as an integration for course providers and providers who basically use different platforms, it can be tricky to get everyone together for the same application. Teams is a fantastic tool to use if you already have Office 365, as it is easy to use.

If you want to try the free version of Microsoft Teams, you can register here.

Skype – Free and easy for less advanced courses

Most people are familiar with this video calling application! With Skype, you can hold video meetings and one-on-one conversations or with groups of up to 50 people for free. Features include audio and video calls, as well as screen sharing and file sharing in the chats. You can also record conversations and save them, so that you can review them later.

Screenshot of Microsoft Skype front page

Skype allows you to generate video conferencing that does not require downloads or registrations. With this function, you as a course provider or instructor can generate a unique link with just one click, and share it with the participants in your course. You have access to a full set of Skype’s features without having to download, register or pay a fee. If you want to try this feature, you can find it here.

Since Skype is owned by Microsoft, if you need more options than what the free version offers, you will have to switch to Microsoft Teams. Apart from this, Skype is a user-friendly application that many have come across before. It can therefore be easy to initiate courses with Skype, as many participants have previous experience with the service. There is also a short process of downloading and signing up to start using Skype.