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Half-Full or Half-Empty: Educational Applications of a Free Videoconferencing
Software
Brandon C. Taylor,
M.S.
Instructional Technology Consultant & Part-time Faculty Member
DePaul University
and
Adjunct Faculty Member/Instructional
Designer
City Colleges of Chicago's Center
for Distance Learning
btaylor4@depaul.edu
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the author’s
experiences, processes, methods, successes, failures, challenges, and
recommendations regarding the creation, implementation, and support of
a low-cost desktop videoconferencing system for distance learning. He
used a free desktop videoconferencing software on a desktop computer
in a faculty member’s office in Chicago, IL, and a desktop computer in
a classroom in Athens, Greece, in order to facilitate the conversion
of a quarter system course into a semester system course. He sought to
do so in both a pedagogically sound and cost-effective manner. This case
study’s primary focus is on the educational applications of the free
desktop videoconferencing software, iVisit.
KEYWORDS
blended course delivery, desktop
videoconferencing, hybrid course, online education, web-based instruction,
distance learning, e-learning
INTRODUCTION
During a discussion with a
faculty member at a faculty development workshop in the Autumn 2001
quarter, I proposed to create and implement a low-cost
desktop videoconferencing system for distance learning. This was an
attempt to solve the problem of converting a 30 contact hours quarter
system face-to-face course into a 45 contact hours semester system
blended course; and to do this while not compressing the instructional
face-to-face time period and not extending the Chicago-area instructor’s
10-week stay in Athens, Greece. This had to be achieved in a pedagogically
sound and cost-effective manner.
This project originated with
the request of College Year in Athens (http://www.cyathens.org) that DePaul
University convert its East West Church:An Inquiry of Catholicism
and Orthodoxy course. This course, a 30 contact hours quarter
system course, was to be converted into a 45 contact hours semester
format course. This would allow students from semester-based institutions
attending the College Year in Athens program to take the course within
their customary system. Thus they would be able to receive the appropriate
semester credit that would be accepted by their home institutions.
Dr. John (Jack) Leahy, a faculty for over 30 years in DePaul University’s
Religious Studies Department, and Joseph Kinsela, the Director of DePaul
University’s Study Abroad Program, both accepted my proposal.
This course had four components in
its blended delivery: a live face-to-face component (3o
contact hours) in Athens, Greece; an asynchronous online component (various
contact hours per student throughout the entire course) via Blackboard http://www.blackboard.com; a course
management system; and a synchronous online component (15
contact hours) via interactive desktop videoconferencing using a free
desktop videoconferencing software, iVisit <http://www.ivisit.com>. This
case study will focus on the educational applications of the free desktop
videoconferencing software that was used to create a low-cost interactive
desktop videoconferencing system for the above course.
OVERVIEW OF THE PRIMARY
TOOLS USED
Before describing my experience,
I will discuss various aspects of the primary tools used to create,
implement and support this low-cost desktop videoconferencing system:
First, videoconferencing
desktop systems often reduce the need for special high-cost equipment
or special networking. Desktop [videoconferencing] systems use personal
computers to connect local and distant learners.” (Simonson, et.
al., 2000). For more information and a list of other resources
about videoconferencing, see the Video Conferencing Cookbook.
The desktop videoconferencing software used in this project was iVisit,
which at the time of this project was beta, or concept phase. I was
introduced to iVisit by my Masters Project committee chairperson/advisor
and professor, Dr. Bruce Harris of Western Illinois University’s Instructional
Technology and Telecommunications Department http://www.wiu.edu/itt.
Dr. Harris used iVisit in
a graduate level instructional theories seminar course to deliver the
course to my classmate and I from Macomb, IL to Chicago, IL--over 200
miles away. Some of the core features of the iVisit include:
-
multi-party color video
-
flexible quality settings for video
-
multi-party voice/audio
-
call screening
-
multi-party text chat
-
built-in directory service that helps you find other users, conferences,
forums, etc.
-
Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP and Macintosh environment compatible
First, the instructor’s videoconferencing
system included the iVisit desktop videoconferencing software, a video
capture card, a camcorder, a multimedia computer, 2 external speakers,
a microphone headset and a 1.5 Mbps T1 connection to the Internet via
DePaul University’s campus network in Chicago.
Second the classroom’s videoconferencing
system included the iVisit desktop videoconferencing software, a web cam,
a multimedia computer, 2 external speakers, a PC mini boom microphone,
a computer to television converter that supports PAL, or European TV formats,
and a 128 kbps ISDN connection to the Internet via the College Year in
Athens’ campus network.
Third, the course
management system (CMS) is a tool that serves as a portal, interface,
and hosting site for online materials and communication. A CMS also includes
facilities to enable instructors to collect information from or about
students regarding their progress in the course structure, and to permit/deny
access to course resources for course material that can be used in both
online and web-enhanced courses. For a list of reviews, comparisons,
and links to major providers of course management systems, see the comparative
analysis of online educational delivery systems <http://www.c2t2.ca/landonline/index.html>. The
CMS used in this distance learning project was Blackboard v5.5. Some
of the core features of Blackboard v5.5 include:
-
Personal information management tools
-
Course content management tools
-
Course communication and collaboration tools
-
Assessment tools
-
Academic Web resources
-
Course management tools
-
System management tools
Fourth, since
iVisit was in beta at the time of this project, I recommended that we use
AOL’s (America Online) AIM (American
Online Instant Messenger) tool as a backup synchronous communication
tool in case the desktop videoconferencing system experienced technical
difficulties. AIM is available for free in both Windows and Macintosh versions. Also,
AIM has a java based web version, AIM Express, which does not require
downloading or installing any software. Some of the features of AIM and
AIM Express include:
-
Exchange instant messages free
-
Share photos and other files
-
Send instant messages without downloading any software
-
Audio conferencing
EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS
OF IVISIT IN THE COURSE
There were two primary educational
applications of iVisit in the distance learning component of this course: course
delivery and conferencing. A seminar course is typically
defined as a course in which participants carry out a study/project on
a topic (usually selected by the teacher) and present their findings
to the group. This is followed by discussion (usually teacher-led) of
the findings in order to reach a general conclusion (Olson, Dorsey and
Reigeluth, 1988). Due to the fact that this course was basically structured
as a seminar, and that distance learning session objectives were to build
the foundation for the face-to-face component of the course, a synchronous
format seemed to be more appropriate than asynchronous as the primary
method for delivering the distance learning sessions. However, an asynchronous
component was used in support of the synchronous distance learning
sessions, such as distributing handouts and agenda for the synchronous
sessions, submitting assignments, and conducting a survey on the distance
learning component.
The course delivery of the distance
learning sessions included the following: an introductory discussion
between the instructor and the class about the topics for the current
session; viewing a video tape on a VCR at the classroom site regarding
the topics of the current session; answering and discussing the questions
on the handouts regarding the topics in the video tape; and an additional
question and answer period regarding the current session’s topics and
the course in general. The instructor and class could see and hear each
other via the low-cost desktop videoconferencing system described earlier
in this paper. Thus the discussions were live and interactive. The distance
learning sessions facilitated the secondary educational application of
iVisit in this project.
Since the distance learning sessions
were making significant use of iVisit, it was logical to use iVisit for
conferencing with students, staff and faculty about logistical and other
items related to the course and the study abroad program. There were
a number of informal conferencing sessions that followed the distance
learning sessions. These conferencing sessions included: instructor
and student conferences, staff and student conferences, and instructor
and staff conferences. For example, the instructor for the course had
conferences with the students who were assisting him in coordinating
local guest speakers in Athens, Greece for the face-to-face sessions
prior to the instructor’s return to Athens. The Executive Director of
the College Year in Athens and the Director of DePaul University’s Study
Abroad Program participated in one of these conferences via the desktop
videoconferencing system using the iVist desktop videoconferencing software. Although
this low-cost desktop videoconferencing system for distance learning
was effective, it was not perfect.
CHALLENGES AND ROADBLOCKS
There were a number of challenges
and roadblocks in creating, implementing and supporting a low-cost
desktop videoconferencing system for teaching and learning at a distance
via using free desktop videoconferencing software, iVisit. These included
the budget, network conditions, timing, configuration, and
freezing:
The budget for this project could
not support the purchase or rental of a data image projector, such as
an LCD projector. An alternative solution was used to enable the class
to see the projection of the remote instructor during the distance learning
sessions. The next solution was to have each student in the class participate
in the distance learning sessions via one-way video and two-way audio,
each from a separate computer with a earphone and microphone headset,
but without a camera, in a College Year in Athens’ computer lab. In the
one-way video and two-way audio solution, the instructor could not see
the students, but the students could see the instructor, and both the
instructor and students could hear each other. Unfortunately, not only
was this format undesirable, but the demand for using College Year in
Athens’ computer lab by the other students in the College Year in Athens
made this solution inadequate. However, the 3rd solution was
for the class to view the instructor via a desktop videoconferencing
system using iVisit desktop videoconferencing software that was connected
to a large screen television using a computer to television converter
that supported European PAL televisions.
Another challenge and roadblock
proved to be the network conditions.
“The primary problem with desktop videoconferencing using the
Internet is poor quality of the video and the limited capacity of the
Internet to carry video signals. Since the Internet is a “packet-switched” network,
a video signal is broken into packets that are disassembled and then
sent to the distant site where the packets are reassembled into a signal.
Obviously, this approach is a limiting factor when live interactive video
is sent.” (Simonson, et. al., 2000)
College Year in Athens’ 128 kbps
ISDN dial-up internet connection was used, with all of the computers
accessing the Internet. Unfortunately, the timing of the distance learning
sessions--15:30 – 17:00 GMT on Tuesdays--was during the peak Internet
usage time for Chicago’s time zone, Central, or GMT – 6. The solution
to this roadblock was to use small video windows (i.e. 160 pixels x 120
pixels) and, when necessary, for the students to pause their outgoing
video in order to obtain better incoming video and/or audio.
As was mentioned earlier, the iVisit
desktop videoconferencing software was in beta at the time of this project. Thus
there were some challenges and roadblocks associated with iVisit itself.
First, it was a challenge to configure the audio settings on iVisit,
because the level indicator was not always consistent with the audio
quality. For example, the best audio during this project was consistently
observed when iVisit’s audio level indicator indicated that the audio
level was too high (i.e. red levels). Thus, we configured the audio
levels during our sessions’ sound checks solely by our ears. Another
challenge presented by iVisit was that it seemed to “freeze”, or stop
responding, a number of times during the duration of the project. This
is one reason why I anticipated using a backup synchronous communication
tool such as AIM. Thus, both sites had someone log into AIM during the
distance learning sessions, and using AIM as a backup synchronous communications
tool worked well to continue the communication when there were issues
with the videoconferencing systems.
RECOMMENDATIONS
There are a number of recommendations
that I would make to others who are interested in creating, implementing
and supporting a low-cost desktop videoconferencing system for distance
learning via using a free desktop videoconferencing software such as
iVisit.
First, orient and train the
instructors and learners who will be participating in distance learning
via using a free desktop videoconferencing software in: the software and
other tools used in the distance learning sessions, the class protocols,
and the technical support process. Such training and orientation will promote
the success of the project and help the instructors and learners to feel
more comfortable with their distance learning experience.
Second, have technical support
resources readily available in order to address and troubleshoot technical
issues. For example, in this project I was in Dr. Leahy’s office during
the distance learning sessions, and I was therefore able to address and
troubleshoot the technical issues immediately. Depending on the instructor,
course, and students, technical support might also include having someone
in a producer role to assist the faculty with various tools, such as the
cameras and text chatting. I also served in this producer role, since
this was the first project of this type at DePaul. However, a student assistant
could also fill this producer role if given the appropriate training and
coordination.
Third, even if the remote
sites have a technical support person or staff, it is beneficial for the
project manager/technical advisor to visit and become familiar with all
of the sites. For example, my visit to College Year in Athens’ facilities
significantly helped me to provide better technical support, because I
had first-hand knowledge of the computer lab, network, administration,
technical support staff, and students’ learning environment.
Finally, have some trial,
or mock sessions with the tools, systems, and facilities that might be
used in the distance learning project. This will provide a good opportunity
to detect technical difficulties, and provide familiarity with the tools
and systems prior to the actual sessions.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this experimental
project of implementing and supporting a low-cost desktop videoconferencing
system for distance learning in order to facilitate converting a quarter
system course into a semester system course was both a successful and
informative project. The total cost of the equipment that had to be
purchased for this project was less than $300, Dr. Leahy and the students
were able to engage in live intellectual discussions and cover the foundational
material of the course. Dr. Leahy will not have to extend his stay beyond
the scheduled ten weeks, at which time he will return to Athens. The
contact hours of the class sessions in Athens will not have to be increased
to 4.5 hours. The Director of DePaul University’s Study Abroad Program
is hoping to offer a similar distance-learning program for DePaul University’s
Sheffield, England, Bonn, Germany and Osaka, Japan. The result of this
project could be summed up by a quote from Dr. Alexis Phylactopoulos,
the Director of College Year in Athens program, during one of the distance
learning/conferencing sessions: “…one small step for DePaul University
and College Year in Athens, one huge leap for international studies…”.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to sincerely thank
Dr. Leahy, Joe Kinsella and DePaul University’s entire Study Abroad
program staff, as well as Dr. Sharon Guan (Director of ITD), Doris Brown
(Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning Resources), College
Year in Athens program staff members, the "DePaul 8” for the opportunity
to be involved in this project and in the making of one of DePaul University's
latest historical events/activities – especially Adam Olszowka
for his assistance, I would also like to thank DePaul's Classroom Technologies
staff members and Distance Learning staff members for their assistance
as well (e.g. use of a video camera, tentatively scheduling the interactive
video rooms, etc.), Dr. Bruce Harris or Western Illinois University’s
Instructional Technology & Telecommunications Department for offering
a class to me an one other graduate student via the similar desktop videoconferencing
system described in this paper, as well as my lovely wife and daughter,
who were so very understanding and "allowed" me to go to Greece
on such short (i.e. two days) notice.
REFERENCES
Olson, Dorsey and Reigeluth,
1988 (as cited in Reigeluth, Charles M., 1999). What Is Instructional-Design
Theory and How Is It Changing? In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-Design
Theories and Models Vol. 2 (pp. 22). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence
Earlbaum Associates.
Video Development Initiative, 2000.
Video Conferencing Cookbook . Available online: http://www.vide.gatech.edu/cookbook2.0/
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright,
M., Zvacek, S., 2000. Teaching and Leaning at a Distance: Foundations
of Distance Learning (pp. 84 and 86). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall.
BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
Brandon C. Taylor is the Instructional
Technology Consultant and Part-time Faculty at DePaul University. In
this role, Brandon is responsible for providing instructional technology
consulting and training services for faculty, managing the loop campus’ faculty
technology lab and its staff and designing, and developing and teaching
e-learning math and technology courses. In addition Brandon is an adjunct
faculty member/instructional designer with the City Colleges of Chicago's
Center for Distance Learning, and has taught at Illinois Institute of
Technology, Chicago State University, the College of Lake County, various
preK-12 school districts/offices and community technology programs. Brandon’s primary research interests include bilingual and multicultural
distance learning and instructional technology programming development.
Brandon has an M.S. in Instructional
Technology and Telecommunications and Graduate Certificate in Distance
Leaning from Western Illinois University, a B.S. in Computer Science
from Prairie View A&M University and is a graduate of the General
Electric Company's (GE) Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP),
a two year IT and business management development program. He also has
completed the Illinois Online Network’s Making a Virtual Classroom a
Reality (MVCR) Master Online Teacher Certificate program. Brandon is
a newly wed and a new father.
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