Web Conferencing Research Articles

Towards an understanding of the learning processes that occur in synchronous online seminars for the professional development of experienced educators

The National College for School Leadership (now the National College) exists to serve the development needs of school leaders in England. The College has begun to use web conferencing in several areas of its work including its professional development programmes, strategic initiatives and support and networking opportunities. Web conferencing tools offer a range of modes of interaction including audio, chat, text, desktop sharing, presentations and video conferencing. It thus has the potential for multi-process learning. The research reported here investigated the ways in which multi-process learning using these tools can be understood. It asked `What insights can be gained into the learning processes occurring in synchronous online seminars involving experienced educators? A literature review was carried out to provide background on the current thinking about learning through web conferencing and to explore factors that might be essential for the collective construction of knowledge in this context. Recorded internal and external NCSL web conferences were chosen as case studies; these provided the data for independent qualitative analysis by each of the researchers. From this analysis a model of the learning processes, identified in the data, was developed and related to the current literature. The major findings and model were further reviewed, in the light of their own web-conferencing experiences, by a large number of expert College educators. The resulting `model of multi-process learning in web conferencing' identifies the part played by social, informational, individual internalisation and co-construction stages in multi-process learning.

Library Programs Online: Possibilities and Practicalities of Web Conferencing

Library Programs Online: Possibilities and Practicalities of Web Conferencing

Web Conferencing with Distant Alternate Certificate Student Teachers

Many alternative routes to certification in special education serving rural populations incorporate distance-learning technology. Participants in these programs may feel isolated because they do not regularly travel to campus to attend courses or meet with their instructors. This article describes a strategy in which regularly scheduled individual video conferences were held between the instructor and five distant student teachers enrolled in an alternate certificate program. Results of a questionnaire completed by the student teachers are presented, along with descriptive statistics of the conferences and a description of the benefits for the course instructor.

Web Conferencing As Classroom: A New Opportunity In Distance Learning

Web conferencing software enables distance learners to attend classes. This paper recounts student reactions to this delivery method and makes suggestions for conducting virtual classes.

Web Conferencing and ICTs to Enhance Undergraduate Science Teaching

The last decade has seen a great variety in the ways in which instructors have incorporated the World Wide Web into their traditional classroom courses; however, this combination has not always translated into changes or improvements in teaching and learning. The real challenge has proved to be not the addition of web resources to the traditional classroom, but the thoughtful combination of those resources in such a way that they enhance the educational process. This fact, added to the advancements in technology that allow for a smooth and more user-friendly integration by non-technologically savvy instructors, has resulted in successful mix of strategies that enhance the classroom learning experience. This article presents a case study that shows the changes in the design of an undergraduate science course that moved from a passive use of the Web to a more interactive and participatory use of web resources, including the incorporation of synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication and a novel use of web conferencing. The authors describe in detail the development and implementation of interactive educational technologies integrated into the course and how synchronous and asynchronous communication has enriched the teaching and learning process.

Web Conferencing Traffic - An Analysis Using DIMDIM as Example

In this paper, we present an evaluation of the Ethernet traffic for host and attendees of the popular opensource web conferencing system DimDim. While traditional Internet-centric approaches such as the MBONE have been used over the past decades, current trends for web-based conference systems make exclusive use of application-layer multicast. To allow for network dimensioning and QoS provisioning, an understanding of the underlying traffic characteristics is required. We find in our exemplary evaluations that the host of a web conference session produces a large amount of Ethernet traffic, largely due to the required control of the conference session, that is heavily-tailed distributed and exhibits additionally long-range dependence. For different groups of activities within a web conference session, we find distinctive characteristics of the generated traffic.

Online Synchronous Technologies for Employee- and Client-Related Activities in Rural Communities

The use of online synchronous technology (web conferencing, text chat, and video chat) by social-service agencies for employee-related activities (recruitment, training, meetings, continuing education, and supervision), and client-related activities (visitation, case management, and education/training classes) has received minimal attention in the professional literature. This article describes these technologies, their examination in the literature, and potential barriers to their use in social-service agencies. The article also reports on a survey of social-service agency administrators in an upper Great Plains state who were asked about their use of online synchronous technology for employee- and client-related activities. Results indicate minimal use of the technologies for these purposes.

Feasibility of a Webinar for Coaching Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on End-of-Life Communication

Previous research has shown that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) desire conversations about end-of-life wishes. However, most clinicians do not initiate these discussions. We explored whether educating patients via Web conferencing (webinar) would equip them with knowledge and skills to engage in conversations about end-of-life care. Prewebinar, 6 of the 7 patients had completed advanced care planning forms but only half had shared these with their clinicians. Most patients felt confident about discussing end-of-life preferences. At 3 months, all participants had taken further action on end-of-life planning. Five felt the webinar was an acceptable option if unable to participate in person. All patients voiced that adding a video stream would have promoted interaction in the context of these sensitive conversations. This pilot project demonstrated that a webinar to educate patients on end-of-life communication was acceptable for the majority of patients. Improvements in audio and video bandwidth may facilitate more interaction among virtual participants. This may be particularly useful for patient education on sensitive topics.

University of Central Florida College of Medicine

University of Central Florida College of Medicine

Virtual Speed Mentoring in the Workplace - Current Approaches to Personal Informal Learning in the Workplace

Informal learning is the biggest undiscovered treasure in today’s workplace. Marcia Conner, author and often-cited voice for workplace learning, suggests that “Informal learning accounts for over 75% of the learning taking place in organizations today” (1997). IBM understands the value of the hyper-connected informal workplace and informal learning that comes through mentoring. This case study examines a novel approach to mentoring that is shaped only by virtual space and the participants who inhabit it. The authors found that virtual social environments can bridge distances in a way that is effective, creative and inexpensive. Eighty-five percent of virtual speed mentoring attendees reported that this approach achieved their learning objectives. Participants also reported that virtual social spaces like Second Life® are suitable delivery vehicles for mentoring, and that connecting with people was much easier than via telephone or web conferencing.

Web Conferencing Software in University-Level, E-Learning-Based, Technical Courses

Faculty who offer university-level technical courses through e-Learning environments must surmount several difficult challenges. Traditionally, learning in technical courses takes place through real-time interactions between instructor and students in the course of solving actual problems—a form of activity that is not possible in asynchronous e-Learning systems. The current study contains an account of experiences gained in using Web Conferencing software to provide a spoken synchronous component to a project-oriented senior-level computer science class. Strengths and weaknesses of this undertaking and a sketch of a different type of hybrid course are presented. While the discourse in this article is focused on computer science, principles put forth are applicable to teaching and learning in any technical field.

U-Campus 실현을 위한 유비쿼터스 종합정보시스템의 개발방법 및 설계

본 논문에서는 언제 어디서나 대학의 인적 물적 지적 정보를 효율적으로 접근할 수 있고, 인터넷폰(VoIP), 이메일, 통합메세징, 인스턴트메시징, 웹컨퍼런싱, 화상회의 등의 다양한 커뮤니케이션 도구를 통해 통신 협업할 수 있는 대학의 유비쿼터스 종합정보시스템(u-종합정보시스템)을 최소한의 비용으로 효과적으로 구축하기 위한 시스템의 개발방법과 설계에 관해 연구하였다. In this paper we researched the development methods and design of the Ubiquitous Integrated Information System (u-IIS) that makes efficiently access the experts and various kinds of intellectual and material information of the universities. And u-IIS supports various communication and cooperation tools such as VoIP, Email, Unified Messaging, Instant Messaging, Web Conferencing, Audio/Video Communication etc. We gave our focus to the methods and design that makes it possible to effectively implement the u-IIS with the least costs based on the available databases and infrastructures.

Breaking out of the Asynchronous Box: Using Web Conferencing in Distance Learning

A discussion of a university library's use of Web conferencing (real-time synchronous instruction) which addresses the questions (1) Is Web conferencing a viable option for distance students in online only classrooms? (2) Do faculty and students benefit from this type of instruction? Four different scenarios are presented with assessment results gathered from surveys and debriefings. Scenarios range from use in an online-only class, to one-shot sessions with faculty and students, supplementing week-long library instruction sessions, and one-on-one sessions with students in Taiwan.

Web 2.0 Technologies: Facilitating Interaction in an Online Human Services Counseling Skills Course

In the face-to-face classroom, human services counseling educators rely on highly interpersonal, interactive methods to teach clinical skills. Replicating these instructional methods in the asynchronous, text-based e-learning environment has been difficult and sometimes impossible. However, web-based technologies, specifically Web 2.0 technologies, may afford educators the opportunity to simulate and enhance the strengths of highly interpersonal and interactive methods of face-to-face clinical skill instruction. These authors demonstrate how a human services counseling skills course can be taught using Web 2.0 technologies. Most of the focus will be on two synchronous applications: 3-D virtual worlds and web conferencing. Implications for educators and recommendations for future research are provided.

Forensic Accounting and FAU: An Executive Graduate Program

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a description of the executive Master's in Accounting with a concentration in forensic accounting program offered by Florida Atlantic University, an AACSB-accredited higher-educational institution located in southeast Florida. This program—the first of its kind in the United States—provides students with the option of attending lectures in person or via web conferencing. Also discussed is the impact that the model curriculum for fraud examination and forensic accounting has had on the program as well as challenges that have been met in creating and developing an executive graduate program in forensic accounting.

CONDUCTING A TRIAL OF WEB CONFERENCING SOFTWARE: Why, How, and Perceptions from the Coalface

This paper reports on the trial of web conferencing software conducted at a regional Australian university with a significant distance population. The paper shares preliminary findings, the views of participants and recommendations for future activity. To design and conduct the trial, an action research method was chosen because it is participative and grounded in experience, reflecting the context and objectives of the trial. In the first phase of the trial, students in postgraduate Education courses were linked across the globe to participate in interactive and collaborative conference activity and to communicate via audio, text, and video and shared whiteboard. Mathematical problem-solving was carried out collaboratively in an undergraduate course using tablet PCs. This was followed by phase 2, a university-wide trial across disciplines. Preliminary findings indicate that web conferencing software enables teachers and students at the university to engage actively across diverse locations, supporting a student-centred approach and greater flexibility in terms of where, when and how students learn. From these findings, the authors have made some initial recommendations to university management on the adoption of web conferencing to support learning and teaching.

Coming of Age: Online Continuing Education for the Journal and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Coming of Age: Online Continuing Education for the Journal and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Pragmatists, Positive Communicators, and Shy Enthusiasts: Three Viewpoints on Web Conferencing in Health Sciences Education

Background Web conferencing is a synchronous technology that allows coordinated online audio and visual interactions with learners logged in to a central server. Recently, its use has grown rapidly in academia, while research on its use has not kept up. Conferencing systems typically facilitate communication and support for multiple presenters in different locations. A paucity of research has evaluated synchronous Web conferencing in health sciences education.ObjectiveMcMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences trialed Wimba’s Live Classroom Web conferencing technology to support education and curriculum activities with students and faculty. The purpose of this study was to explore faculty, staff, and student perceptions of Web conferencing as a support for teaching and learning in health sciences. The Live Classroom technology provided features including real-time VoIP audio, an interactive whiteboard, text chat, PowerPoint slide sharing, application sharing, and archiving of live conferences to support student education and curriculum activities.Methods Q-methodology was used to identify unique and common viewpoints of participants who had exposure to Web conferencing to support educational applications during the trial evaluation period. This methodology is particularly useful for research on human perceptions and interpersonal relationships to identify groups of participants with different perceptions. It mixes qualitative and quantitative methods. In a Q-methodology study, the goal is to uncover different patterns of thought rather than their numerical distribution among the larger population.Results A total of 36 people participated in the study, including medical residents (14), nursing graduate students (11), health sciences faculty (9), and health sciences staff (2). Three unique viewpoints were identified: pragmatists (factor 1), positive communicators (factor 2A), and shy enthusiasts (factor 2B). These factors explained 28% (factor 1) and 11% (factor 2) of the total variance, respectively. The majority of respondents were pragmatists (n = 26), who endorsed the value of Web conferencing yet identified that technical and ease-of-use problems could jeopardize its use. Positive communicators (N = 4) enjoyed technology and felt that Web conferencing could facilitate communication in a variety of contexts. Shy enthusiasts (N = 4) were also positive and comfortable with the technology but differed in that they preferred communicating from a distance rather than face-to-face. Common viewpoints were held by all groups: they found Web conferencing to be superior to audio conferencing alone, felt more training would be useful, and had no concerns that Web conferencing would hamper their interactivity with remote participants or that students accustomed to face-to-face learning would not enjoy Web conferencing.Conclusions Overall, all participants, including pragmatists who were more cautious about the technology, viewed Web conferencing as an enabler, especially when face-to-face meetings were not possible. Adequate technical support and training need to be provided for successful ongoing implementation of Web conferencing.

P45 Infotrain: Delivering Information Skills Training Via Web Conference

Background Quality, accessible information is at the heart of continouous quality improvement. Information is only of value when staff can identify and use information to best effect. To do this, staff require information skills, from basic technological skills to higher level discriminatory skills to identify and prioritise evidence‐based resources.National Blood Service (NBS) staff work in widely dispersed locations throughout England, some in blood centres in major cities, others in mobile teams. The new NBS Library Programme is collecting and developing information resources for all staff. A suite of training courses, aimed at a wide range of staff has been developed to raise information awareness, develop information skills and support effective and efficient use of information. To reach and train as many staff as possible, Web Conferencing is being used.Methods Travel costs and time spent away from work activities across the organisation currently need to be reduced, so an innovative delivery method was sought. Following initial, wide‐ranging consultation a core of topics were identified, to appeal to the widest possible number of staff. NBS had recently purchased Web Conference software and had existing access to teleconferencing. This enabled Web Conference delivery to be trialled. A series of courses (InfoTrain) was developed, consisting of short sessions to suit this mode of delivery. Courses were offered widely across the organisation.Results Evidence of effectiveness is being collated from questionnaires, on a database. Verbal/email feedback, course bookings and invitations to deliver sessions at other blood centres are further indicators. Initial results show courses directly contribute to staff's work. Demand for courses, e.g.‘Hierarchy of Evidence’and ’Electronic Journals’ has led to waiting lists being established. Trainees have indicated increased awareness of available resources and information quality issues.Conclusions Courses designed to suit Web Conferencing can be very successful and widely welcomed. Web Conferencing significantly reduces travel costs and time spent away from core work activities. Information skills training is of demonstrable benefit to staff across the organisation .Training increases independence in information seeking; raising awareness of information quality issues and guiding staff to the best resources can benefit the whole organisation, by reducing time spent identifying and accessing the required information. Increasing staff's understanding of evidence based healthcare impacts directly upon practice, enabling independent assessment of personal practice against evidence and guidance, leading to continuous service improvement.

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