Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing means meeting through a telecommunications medium. It is
a generic term for linking people between two or more locations by
electronics. There are at least six types of teleconferencing: audio,
audiographic, computer, video, business television (BTV), and distance
education. The methods used differ in the technology, but common factors
contribute to the shared definition of teleconferencing:
Use a telecommunications channel
Link people at multiple locations
Interactive to provide two-way communications
Dynamic to require users' active participation
Types of Teleconferences
Audio Teleconference: Voice-only; sometimes called conference
calling. Interactively links people in remote locations via telephone lines.
Audio bridges tie all lines together. Meetings can be conducted via
audio conference. Preplanning is necessary which includes naming a
chair, setting an agenda, and providing printed materials to participants
ahead of time so that they can be reviewed.
Distance learning can be conducted by audio conference. In fact, it is
one of the most underutilized, yet cost effective methods available to
education. Instructors should receive training on how to best utilize
audio conferences to augment other forms of distance learning.
Audiographics Teleconference: Uses narrowband
telecommunications channels to transmit visual information such as
graphics, alpha-numerics, documents, and video pictures as an adjunct
to voice communication. Other terms are desk-top computer
conferencing and enhanced audio. Devices include electronic
tablets/boards, freeze-frame video terminals, integrated graphics
systems (as part of personal computers), Fax, remote-access
microfiche and slide projectors, optical graphic scanners, and voice/data
terminals.
Audiographics can be used for meetings and distance learning.
Computer Teleconference: Uses telephone lines to connect two or
more computers and modems. Anything that can be done on a
computer can be sent over the lines. It can be synchronous or
asynchronous. An example of an asychronous mode is electronic mail.
Using electronic mail (E-Mail), memos, reports, updates, newsletters
can be sent to anyone on the local area network (LAN) or wide area
network (WAN). Items generated on computer which are normally
printed and then sent by facsimile can be sent by E-Mail.
Computer conferencing is an emerging area for distance education.
Some institutions offer credit programs completely by computer.
Students receive texts and workbooks via mail. Through common files
assigned to a class which each student can assess, teachers upload
syllabi, lectures, grades and remarks. Students download these files,
compose their assignment and remarks off-line, then upload them to the
common files.
Students and instructors are usually required to log on for a prescribed
number of days during the week. Interaction is a large component of the
students' grades.
Through computers, faculty, students and administrators have easy
access to one another as well as access to database resources
provided through libraries. The academic resources of libraries and
special resources can be accessed such as OCLC, ERIC, and Internet.
Administrators can access student files, retrieve institutional information
from central repositories such as district or system offices, government
agencies, or communicate with one another. Other resources can be
created such as updates on state or federal legislation.
Video Teleconference: Combines audio and video to provide voice
communications and video images. Can be one-way video/two-way
audio, or two-way video/two-way audio. It can display anything that can
be captured by a TV camera. The advantage is the capability to display
moving images. In two-way audio/video systems, a common application
is to show people which creates a social presence that resembles face-
to-face meetings and classes and enables participants to see the facial
expressions and physical demeanor of participants at remote sites.
Graphics are used to enhance understanding. There are three basic
systems: freeze frame, compressed, and full-motion video.
Video conferencing is an effective way to use one teacher who teaches
to a number of sites. It is very cost effective for classes which may have
a small number of students enrolled at each site. In many cases, video
conferencing enables the institution or a group of institutions to provide
courses which would be canceled due to low enrollment or which could
not be supported otherwise because of the cost of providing an
instructor in an unusual subject area. Rural areas benefit particularly
from classes provided through video conferencing when they work with
a larger metropolitan institution that has full-time faculty.
Through teleconferencing, institutions are able to serve all students
equitably.
Save Time: Content presented by one or many sources is received in many places
simultaneously and instantly. Travel is reduced resulting in more productive time.
Communication is improved and meetings are more efficient. It adds a competitive
edge that face-to-face meetings do not.
Lower Costs: Costs (travel, meals, lodging) are reduced by keeping employees in the
office, speeding up product development cycles, improving performance through
frequent meetings with timely information.
Accessible: Through any origination site in the world. Larger Audiences: More
people can attend. The larger the audience, the lower the cost per person.
Unity: Provides a shared sense of identity. People feel more a part of the group...more
often. Individuals or groups at multiple locations can be linked frequently.
Timely: For time-critical information, sites can be linked quickly. An audio or point-
to-point teleconference can be convened in three minutes.
Interactive: Dynamic; requires the user's active participation. It enhances personal
communication. When used well for learning, the interactivity will enhance the
learning and the teaching experience
Video Conferencing Can Reach Students in Remote Areas
Getting to school is not as easy for some students as it is for others. There are a
number of reasons why a family might struggle to get their children to school,
whether it’s because they need help caring for an elderly relative or because they live
in a remote location.
Video conferencing in the classroom, or from the classroom means that no matter the
obstacles, they can still get access to the education they deserve. Because almost
every phone and laptop has a camera already, it’s relatively simple to find a way to
get these students into the classroom, even if they have to stay at home.
Record Your Classes
Most video conferencing software offers recording as part of the package. That means
it’s pretty easy to create a digital archive of your classes. Your students can go back
and review lectures after the fact, and anyone who needed to miss a class can catch up
without having to scrutinize notes. All you need to do is start streaming at the top of
every class, and the cloud will take care of everything else.
Bring Experts Into the Classroom
One of the coolest things about video conferencing in the classroom is the ability to
bring experts into the classroom. Did you know that you can connect your classroom
with an astronaut via Skype, for instance?
There are a ton of ways that you can take advantage of this feature, but the best advice
is to use your creativity and not be afraid of making a big ask. With video
conferencing, remember that this technology is about as complicated as a phone call,
so it’s not necessarily as big of a hassle for your expert as you might think. Don’t be
afraid to email people and ask big—everyone wants to make a difference, and
reaching a classroom of students to share why what they do is important may be
reason enough to say yes to a video conferencing meeting.
More One-on-One Time
One of the biggest challenges with education today is making enough time for one-on-
one mentoring with students. It’s a numbers game: Average class sizes are going up,
and that makes it harder than ever to have meaningful interactions with individual
students. Videoconferencing is one possible solution, making it easier to get face-to-
face time with each student without taking time out of the school day.
Parent-Teacher Conference 2.0
The importance of a parent and teacher relationship cannot be overstated when it
comes to securing good outcomes for students, but often schedules can make that
difficult. With video conferencing, teachers and parents can overcome many of the
traditional barriers. Rather than holding conferences once a month, at best, you can
stay in touch with parents at regular intervals and make sure they’re doing everything
they can to support what you’re doing in the classroom.
Take a Virtual School Trip
One of the best ways to use video conferencing in the classroom is to give your
students access to things they never would’ve been able to see before. When it comes
to school trips, you can work with organizations to get behind-the-scenes access to
things that would have never been possible in the past.
Whether that’s a behind-the-scenes look at your local aquarium or an interview with
your local state senator, it’s important to realize that the possibilities are endless.
While it might be difficult to organize an actual field trip, using class time to take a
virtual trip to a cool place can drive home lessons and make a big impact on students.
