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Discord

Principal function(s): Video conferencingVirtual ExchangeGroup/pair work - classmatesGroup/pair work - outsidersWhole classSpeakingTeacherStudentYou SupplyWebsite/other users supply

Discord is a communication platform primarily designed for creating communities, hosting discussions, and facilitating real-time communication through text, voice, and video. Users can join existing servers or create their own and share their screens, stream content, or listen to music. It was mainly designed for gamers, but it is also employed by various other communities, including educational groups. Discord is free to use. Signing up for an account is required to access most of Discord's features and join servers. It was developed by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy. Evaluation: Discord can be a useful tool for teachers to communicate and share information with students through a server or for teamwork among students. It is also an excellent way for bigger groups to discuss and collaborate on projects or other tasks. Moreover, there are thousands of Discord servers, many of them dedicated to language learning, that could be of help learning a language autonomously.

Cost: Free with registration + paid plans available.

Website: https://discordapp.com/

  

Categories

Type Of Interaction

  • Group/pair work - classmates
  • Group/pair work - outsiders
  • Individual work

Skills

  • Speaking

Content

  • Website/other users supply
  • You supply

Usability

Interface User-friendliness/complexity of the tool´s interface

Intuitive, easy to navigate.

Time efficiency Time needed for mastering the „how-to“ of the tool and a production of a task

Medium; it is slightly more complex than other communication platforms since it has more functionalities, so it requires some time to get familiarised with the tool.

Interface language(s) The number of languages in which the tool is currently available/adaptable to

English and 27 other languages.

Respect for privacy Does the tool require registration? Who can see my data? Can I remain anonymous?

Medium. Discord collects various types of user data, including account information (e.g., username, email), content users create (e.g., messages, files), payment information, and information from users' actions on the platform. It does so to provide services, ensure safety, enforce community guidelines, offer customer support, and improve its services. Importantly, it emphasises not selling personal information to third parties, although it might share anonymised or aggregated data. Discord uses encryption to protect user data both in transit and at rest, which is a standard security measure. It also mentions access controls and two-factor authentication for added security. Discord provides users with various controls to manage their privacy, such as limiting and modifying data collection and deleting or disabling their accounts. Discord mentions compliance with various data protection frameworks, such as the GDPR. See more here.

Saving work for future use Possiblity to save your or others´ work for reuse/reproduction

Yes, with an account.

Tailorability (If so, how?) Possibility of the tool to be used for a range of different activities (e.g. to what extent you can organize a project assignment with a central activity based on this tool)

High; it can be used for many different purposes, plus users can create their own servers or find servers suited to their needs among hundreds.

Interactivity

Engagement

Collaboration

Communication

Technical requirements

Installation required?

Any browser; Android, iOS.

Compatibility/ Operating System

Any browser; Android, iOS.

Other technical requirements