| Student and Classroom Accommodation |
|
Student Advantages: Many
advantages are apparent for students as they engage in videoconferencing
activities. The videoconferencing environment involves a great deal
of planning on the part of the teacher, and the
result is generally a well planned and effective lesson. Students
are usually highly motivated during a videoconferencing session because of
the videoconference is planned as a integral part of the lesson and
preparation for the event lead to enthusiasm. In a semester long
class the key to motivation is to continuously involve students in the
learning process. Student involvement can take these
approaches:
- Student Centered Approach to
learning: Videoconferencing activities are generally best
delivered in a student centered approach where the focus is on the
learning activities and fully engages the students in the
process. Students using videoconferencing are often engaged in
activities that might include:
- Project based learning activities
- Demonstrations
- Experiments and investigations
- Displays of art work or other
visuals
- Shared documents that can be
modified from both sites
- Student Interactions:
Students have the unique opportunity to interact with others at a
distance, and experience people and places that are not available in
the regular classroom setting. Students can connect with
other students or with experts in the
field. Sessions can be set up for delivery of classes that might
not be available in remote areas. Examples of classroom and/or
individual interactions include:
- Question and Answer periods
- Discussions and debates
- Role playing, skits,
and plays
- Presentations using multimedia
software
- Games or contests
- Student Assistant: Students
involved in the operation of the videoconferencing equipment are
learning in two ways - technical skills and content skills.
Involving the students in the management of the videoconference can
make a difference in the delivery of the videoconference since it
takes more than just the teacher to operate and effectively deliver a
videoconference. Student assistants can do the following:
- Camera operation
- Operate the software for switches
from the in house audience to the far end, or switches to the
document camera
- Control the audio - mute when audio
is not needed
- Room setup and lighting jobs
- Production with group management of
students and room dynamics
- Conduct introductions
- Moderate discussions
- Time segments and manage agenda
items
- Take responsibilities for conference
materials
|
Quick Links:
Student Centered Instruction
Site Links:
|
Student Disadvantages: There
are issues to consider when planning delivery of instruction with
videoconferencing. The advantages are many, but a downside for this
delivery option for learning does inhibit its use by many teaching
professionals.
- Technical Difficulties: The
opportunity to have a problem with videoconferencing is always
looming. The best laid plans can be interrupted easily with a
break down. When technical issues get in the way of the conference, time
is taken away from learning. A backup plan is critical to
keep the learning flow moving. Listed below are a few of the
main technical problems to guard against.
- Bandwidth/Connection issues -
if the videoconference is not planned around the other activities
using the district bandwidth, the
conference can be interrupted because of the high traffic on the
network. The solution is to always contact the network
administrator before conducting a conference to find out the
opportune times that the network can be used.
- Audio/Visual issues - the
adjustments needed to broadcast a good signal can be made in
advance of the scheduled conference. A test connection
should be made previous to the conference to ensure that all
systems connect. This however, does not always guarantee
that problems won't arise during the videoconference. It is
critical that pre-training be included in the lesson planning
stage to ensure that there is someone onsite to solve the
technical issues.
- Signage can be helpful in
letting the other party know about audio difficulties - make
the signs before the conference
- Share files electronically
before the conference so that both sites have the conference
documents and they can be used even if the video is not
available.
- Lighting is an important factor
in delivering a quality image
- Pace: The pace of
instruction can be slowed using videoconferencing because of the need
to interact at multiple sites. Taking the time to prepare for
this in the lesson plan can mitigate the time wasted. An agenda
and timeline is crucial to keep the
conference moving and on track.
- Reception quality: The reception
quality can be reduced by many factors (bandwidth, traffic, equipment
incompatibility, etc,) and result in a poor quality session.
When the quality of reception is poor, it is difficult to conduct a
meaningful session.
|
|
|
References/Site
Map
conniepepper@cableone.net
Last updated 03/31/03
|
