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Personal Experience with Videoconferencing in Education
Learning from personal experience with videoconferencing in education can improve your teaching effectiveness
September 07, 2006
By: Lynn Marotta
Videoconferencing technology is used for many different
applications today. One of the more creative uses is for
long distance education. Colleges and universities have been
using this technology for some time now to accommodate
students who aren’t able to attend traditional classes in a
classroom setting. Today however, more and more K-12 schools
are utilizing this technology to enhance the learning
experience of their students. In order to understand the
educational benefits that can be achieved by utilizing this
type of technology, it can be very useful to learn from
others personal experience with videoconferencing in
education.
Let’s take a look at how videoconferencing has been
implemented and used in a real life school setting in the
state of Washington. The state instituted what they call the
K-20 Education Network, which is a wide area network
that links public schools, colleges, and universities in the
State of Washington. It was dubbed the “Where in Washington”
project. Each classroom was given the task of coming up with
a presentation describing the area of the state where they
lived, without revealing the actual location. A
videoconference with another classroom would then be
initiated for each classroom to view the other's
presentation. Once the presentations were complete, each
classroom would then have to determine where in Washington
their virtual counterparts were reporting from.
The project was a huge success with schools reporting
that students were learning a tremendous amount of geography
and were enthusiastic about gathering as much information as
they could, not only for their classroom presentations but
from viewing the presentations from other schools across the
state. Teachers remarked that the students were having so
much fun interacting that it was almost as if they didn’t
even realize they were learning. Imagine the result if this
concept was taken past the state boundaries and expanded to
schools globally. Learning geography would take on a whole
new light.
Several years ago, AT&T’s instituted an
Education First Initiative which gave CA schools the
technology to link schools, libraries and community colleges
in order to facilitate the use of videoconferencing to
enhance educational opportunities. While the initiative is
no longer in effect, they still do a great deal to promote
learning through videoconferencing techniques. They maintain
a detailed searchable database of videoconferencing sites
that include museums, schools, businesses, libraries, etc.
that offer educational opportunities through
videoconferences.
Another clear advantage gained through the use of
videoconferencing in an education setting is that it causes
students to develop better communication and management
skills. Students must plan and prepare ahead to converse
with other schools through a videoconference. Not only are
students learning to work together to prepare their
presentations, they are then forced to communicate more
effectively because a videoconference requires a certain
clarity of dialog that is not as necessary in a one on one
setting. This seems like a pretty practical approach to
education that can help students prepare for the real world
situations they are sure to be faced with later in life.
About the Author
Lynn Marotta is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Conferencing-Guide.com. Your definitive guide to everything you need to know about video driven communications, including multi-view video conferencing solutions for business, broadband video phones and personal webcam chat rooms.
Also See:
[ WorldGate's Ojo
personal video phone -- worth your while to buy? ]
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High-tech medicine -- video conferencing for operation rooms ]
Home Page:
[ Video-Conferencing-Guide.com ]
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