In previous posts we’ve talked about the benefits of video conferencing. The proliferation of broadband internet across the globe makes it easier to reach previously difficult territories. Without the limitation of physical location, the uses of videoconferencing for education are now currently being incorporated by many educational institutions.

The benefits of videoconferencing as a classroom tool are not in question. However for videoconferencing to be really successful it will be important to hold training sessions for teachers on the conferencing technology. The sessions need to focus on the development of course content, devising the use of videoconferencing formats and of course the use of videoconferencing equipment.

In order for this to work, teachers must first realize that videoconferencing is merely a delivery tool and won’t work miracles. They need to understand that it cannot be used to deliver information that is not part of their core content. The lesson plan needs to be organized so that the use of videoconferencing doesn’t lead to just repetition of information.

Teachers should first be taught on how to operate the videoconferencing equipment. This training should include the use of both hardware and software, so that they can experiment and get familiar with different formats while developing their course material.

It is important to stress that they run some trial sessions. This effectively gives the teachers an opportunity to determine for themselves how the lectures must flow and how easy it will be once they run some more sessions. The guidelines that they need to lay down for the smooth running of videoconference sessions can of course be worked out during these trial sessions.

The use of videoconferencing of course depends much on the teacher’s lesson plan. It must first be decided which sections of the course content can be actually delivered in this format. Then one needs to identify the audio-visual resources, if there are any experts needed, and whatever else is required to develop the lesson which may include images, illustrations, audio and visual clips. The teacher needs to also interact with the technical team to get a better understanding as to how to put together this material into a seamless lecture.

In order to teach effectively, the videoconference format must encourage interaction. The priority then should be to include question and answer sessions or student-centered discussions that encourage interaction. Students should be asked to prepare their questions beforehand in order for them to take full advantage of the experts or panelists whom the teachers may have invited to add value to the videoconference.

To further add value, teachers may even encourage pre-conference and/or post-conference contact through e-mail, online chat or document sharing. Provide the students with a given timeline so that they will be aware of the time slots allotted for each individual, group, and teacher interaction.

Another requirement to take into consideration for the smooth running of a video conference is to assign responsibilities to students. Depending on the format of the videoconference a teacher can decide to have student group leaders, recorders, researchers, a group spokesperson or a demonstration leader.

It would be useful to pass on the background material as hard copy to students for reference and future use. Remember the success of a videoconference should be assessed by performing a follow up test. The best test would be to learn the amount of information the students have learned. This would give teachers an idea as to how well the students were able to properly absorb the information.

From what you read, one can see plenty goes into preparing for an educational videoconference. We haven’t even scratched the surface but follow the above guidelines and use common sense. If you’re a teacher, think of the advantages you’d have by incorporating video conferencing into your curriculum.