Editing Collaboration tool (section)

=== Synchronous collaboration tools ===
[[File:Moseley Hall Collaboration Space.jpg|thumb|A room designed to encourage collaboration.]]
A collaboration tool is synchronous, when its users are collaborating at the same time:<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

==== [[Whiteboarding|Shared whiteboards]] ====
{{main|Whiteboarding}}
Shared whiteboards give its users the capability to work efficiently on a task through a web-based platform. They can be used for informal discussions and also for communications that need structure, involve drawing or are in general more sophisticated. This might also be very useful in to realise [[Distance education|virtual classrooms]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Enhancing Learning Systems by using Virtual Interactive Classrooms and Web-based Collaborative Work|last1 = Premchaiswadi|first1 = Wichian|publisher = Siam University|pages = 3|url = http://phditsiamuresearch.pbworks.com/f/026.pdf|last2 = Tungkasthan|first2 = Anucha|last3 = Jongsawat|first3 = Nipat}}</ref>

==== [[Voice over IP|Video communication systems]] ====
{{main|Voice over IP}}
Video communication systems offer two-way or multi-way calling with a live videostream. It can be best compared to a telephone system with an additional visual element.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Successful Video Communication|last = Kandola|first = Pearn|publisher = Cisco Systems|year = 2009|pages = 6–8|url = http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2009/ekits/Video_Communication.pdf}}</ref>

==== [[Online chat|Chat systems]] ====
{{main|Online chat}}
Chat systems allow people to write and send messages in real-time. They are usually structured in chat rooms which show usernames, number of people, location, discussion topic and more.

==== [[Decision support system]]s ====
{{main|Decision support system}}
Decision support systems support groups to manage the decision making process. They give people the ability to exchange their brainstorming, analyzing their ideas and even are used for voting.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Decision Support Systems|last1 = Marek J.|first1 = Druzdzel|publisher = University of Pittsburgh|year = 2002|pages = 3|last2 = Flynn|first2 = Roger|url = http://www.pitt.edu/~druzdzel/psfiles/dss.pdf}}</ref> Decision making is becoming more and more a core function of modern work. According to studies 50% of organizational decisions fail.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/decfail.htm|title=Half Of Business Decisions Fail Because Of Management's Blunders, New Study Finds|website=researchnews.osu.edu|access-date=2016-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406235101/http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/decfail.htm|archive-date=2016-04-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== [[Multiplayer video game]]s ====
{{main|Multiplayer video game}}
Computer games are a good example of how a multi-user situation could look like in the future. They are constantly developed and expanded with features such as chat and video systems.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Designing Collaborative Multiplayer Serious Games for Collaborative Learning|last1 = Viktor Wendel1, Michael Gutjahr2, Stefan Go ̈bel1, and Ralf Steinmetz|first1 = Viktor|publisher = Technische Universität Darmstadt|year = 2012|isbn = 978-989-8565-07-5|location = Darmstadt|pages = 1–3|last2 = Gutjahr|first2 = Michael|last3 = Steinmetz|first3 = Ralf|last4 = Göbel|first4 = Stefan}}</ref>