Further reading on:
Audioconferencing Videoconferencing Audiographics Checklists for
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Various forms of audio and video teleconferencing have been developed which enable one-to-one or, more often, one-to-many interactions in flexible delivery. In addition to the three media described below, voicemail is a simple telephone-based technology which can be a cheap, fast way of communicating information and feedback to a group of students or a whole class, as well as enabling students to contact the teacher with lengthy messages.
Audio conferencing is simply the hooking up of two or more individuals, or groups, to a telephone call. It is easy to organise, relatively cheap (depending on the distance of calls), and, for individuals, requires no special equipment, though a hands-free telephone is an advantage. For group audio conferences, teleconferencing units are inexpensive for the organisation. If audio conferencing is frequently used, the organisation can invest in a teleconference bridge which enables callers to dial in to the call instead of having it set up by the telephone company. Though some skills are needed for successful audio conferencing, to compensate for the lack of body language and ensure that everyone is able to make their contribution, these are quick and easy to learn.
Video conferencing provides a live audio and video link between participants at two or more sites (usually a maximum of 14, though practically speaking it is difficult to handle more than three or four successfully). Though PC-based video conferencing is becoming a reality, ‘roll-about’ units are still the predominant form. These incorporate one or more cameras, a control unit, a monitor and a ‘codec’ which compresses and decompresses the signal. They also demand a room with suitable lighting and reasonable acoustics, and access to ISDN telephone lines.
The cost of setting up such a unit is around $70 000 (but gradually reducing), plus the cost of line charges for each session, so that a good volume of usage is necessary to make the system cost efficient. The line charge varies with the bandwidth used. At its most sophisticated, a broadband link gives full motion video such as we see on television. The cheapest form, a 128 kb link, gives a jerky picture which does not show fine movements very well. The choice has to be made depending on the purpose of the link.
Room video conferencing can be used successfully by individuals and by groups of up to 15-20 people. It can be used for discussion and demonstration in similar ways to traditional classrooms, and the inclusion of a graphics camera enables text and graphics to be incorporated. It can be used for a block of time, or interspersed with times when the individual groups have activities off-line. It is a relatively cheap way of importing specialised expertise from overseas or interstate for a guest lecture. It can also be used as a means for learners to compare experiences with others in different locations. Teachers will need to develop skills in using the medium successfully, to encourage genuine response and interaction.
Video conferencing is also used for administrative purposes, for example for meetings between staff in multi-campus organisations. Used in this way, it can save a good deal of travel time and cost. It is similarly valuable for professional development.
Desk-top video conferencing using a PC is a more flexible method, since it uses ordinary telephone lines and does not require a specially equipped room. The availability of Internet-based applications to run this method makes it potentially quite cheap. It is not yet widespread in the education community, however.
Audio graphics combines audio conferencing with computer interaction to transmit visual material and data. It requires two telephone lines at present. Visual material may be presented either on a PC screen (using a graphics tablet), or on a computer-linked electronic whiteboard. The older form of audio graphics, using a Macintosh, fax and audio conferencing equipment, is cheap and simple to use but can be technically fairly crude. It is suitable for two to three groups, each limited to the number that can successfully cluster around the computer. It has been successfully used, particularly in schools, to extend the teaching repertoire by linking campuses. The electronic whiteboard variety of audio graphics is a very approachable method since it builds on the classroom structure that teachers and learners are familiar with, but the equipment is expensive.
Audio graphics is effective when the teaching content is strongly oriented to data which must be manipulated by both teacher and students, such as mathematics and accounting; it is also used successfully in language studies because of the simultaneous voice and text ability.
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