1

VideoconferencingImplications for Teaching

Peter Scott - ILT Advisor, RSC Walesp.scott@swansea.ac.uk01792 513387

2

Videoconferencing and Teaching

Contents:

•Why Use Videoconferencing?

• Preparation Of Materials

• Practical Implications

• Further Information

3

Why Use Videoconferencing?

4

Videoconferencing and Teaching

Why use videoconferencing?• Enhance learning experience

– Language teaching– Input from an expert

• Multi-site colleges• Distance learning / Inclusivity

– Teaching tool– Support tool– Training in the workplace– Standard Conferencing

5

Videoconferencing and Teaching

Why use videoconferencing?

• Make courses viable

– Low student numbers – chainsaw maintenance

• Share lecturer expertise

• Give students access to techniques you could not otherwise demonstrate

• Its fun and easy!

Telephones with Pictures

6

Preparation of Materials

7

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

• Quality rather than quantity

• Not all images will be suitable such as: complicated diagrams

detailed notes

certain colours and graphics

finely detailed slides

8

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

Hand written notes:

9

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

Font size and style:

Text size should be at least 24 point Smaller text will transmit badly and may be impossible to read at the receiving site even if its just legiable on your confidence monitor

Don’t use lots of fonts Don’t use lots of colours

Text size should be at least 24 point Smaller text will transmit badly and may be impossible to read at the receiving site even if its just legiable on your confidence monitor

Don’t use lots of fonts Don’t use lots of colours

10

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

Use of colour:

11

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

Graphics:

Big, Bold, Bar based charts

12

Preparation of Materials

Selecting and designing

Graphics:

An example of what not to do!!

13

Preparation of Materials

Support Materials

• Preparation of support materials prior to delivery of course

handouts to go to local and remote students – procedures for doing this

continuity of delivery even if visual output goes down

communication procedures – especially with remote audience

student / lecturer

lecturer / facilitator

student / student

14

Practical Implications

15

Practical Implications

The Teaching Environment

• Course delivery is to multiple sites delivery may assist and benefit remote students but what about local students?

• Control of different technologies as well as teaching having to worry about changing visual feeds and learning new applications.

• Additional session planning pre-planning of the session, and pre-planning of a contingency plan if technology fails, or session doesn’t go as planned

• The ability to change the session plan according to needs of the audience

just as might happen in more traditional delivery methods

16

Practical Implications

The Teaching Environment

Therefore >>>>

Practice !!

17

Practical Implications

Practice

• Don’t try to run before you can walk

• Get comfortable with the room and the technology before attempting delivery of courses

• Conference with colleagues in other institutions they will want to practice too!!

• Get technical support to sit in on at least the 1st few sessions

• Informal sessions always work best, so have a sense of humour

• Use the technology as a tool – enhancement is the key to it’s success!

18

Videoconferencing

Further Information

• http://www.wvn.ac.uk/training/presentations

• http://www.rsc-wales.ac.uk/english/ilt/videoconferencing.shtml

• http://www.jvcs.video.ja.net

• http://www.jtap.ac.uk

• http://ferl.becta.org.uk (search for videoconferencing)

• http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/ltdi/vcstudies/index.html