Web Conferencing

The easiest way to get started with web conferencing is to use Skype, which is free to download and use for computer-to-computer calls.

You use a microphone and headset (and optionally, a web camera) to talk (and optionally view) other people you are speaking to. Calls aren’t limited to two people – you can have free conference calls with people around the world. Some distance learning courses at QM have used Skype for tutorials.

Another programme, which is popular amongst students, is Microsoft’s MSN Live Messenger. This enables you to have video calls, text-based chat, file and desktop sharing.

With the spread of broadband, it’s rare that hard-wired videoconferencing systems will be needed for basic global communication – free or cheap web-based services are perfectly adequate for most needs (though you need to be careful that your audience has access to a broadband connection, has headsets, web cameras et cetera).

There are also various web-based offerings aimed at education, with ‘virtual classroom’ functionality (eg. a teacher role controls access and participation, a roving ‘microphone’, a ‘hands-up’ feature). We’ve looked at some of these and the initial cognitive friction seems high, and there have been reliability questions with some of the leading products.

We are, though, looking at a much simpler but possibly very suitable alternative, which anyone at QM would be welcome to use for educational purposes. More here soon.