Today we participated in a Video Conference lecture, it is a simple and effective way to connect with the group and share the information in the same way as a lecture, but without physically being in the university.

I particularly enjoyed not having to travel to get to the university, or really go very far from my bed, to take part. It was quick and easy to access, since once the link was clicked it went directly to the conference- the only thing that needed doing was allowing permission to the microphone and camera. It was easy to understand what everyone was doing and who was presenting as the conference call only showed the cameras of those who were talking.

I also was impressed by the features of the call, this included a poll, which everyone to respond quickly when a closed question was asked. The answer to the question was then displayed next to their name, meaning that if a follow up question or explanation was needed then it would be easy to identify who to ask. Another feature which is incredibly useful was the whiteboard tool, this is displayed as a central note pad so that everyone in the call is able to write onto it. We used this to share ideas and respond to questions.

Although we did come into some issues with the call, an example being sometimes the camera and sound feed would drop out, leaving that person unable to interact with the other callers. An issue that I had was that my internet connection wasn’t strong enough to stream all of the video feeds, therefore leading to me disconnecting from the call frequently. I also found it quite difficult to speak to the screen, since there wasn’t actually a physical person there. It is something that I think would go with using this kind of software a few times.

I would use this within the classroom, although I think I would use it as a whole class rather than individually. I particularly like the idea of video conferencing another school which is in a different country, since it enables the children to learn from the children about their culture and experiences.

Some other benefits of using video conferencing within the classroom are:

• Video conferencing can save time and money- instead of taking the children to the museum conference with them to see the artifacts and get the information.
• Children are able to travel in time and space- they are able to talk to someone dressed as an explorer or alien through the conference.
• It is an instant way to connect and share information, meaning that decisions or can be made or information shared quickly and efficiently.
• If the parents of the children are busy or unable to attend meetings, they could be able to video conference with the teacher- leading to heightened parent/teacher communication.

Although there are some disadvantages, these are:

• The connection that is provided by the school might not be strong or reliable enough to be able to support the call.
• If any of the software or components don’t work for any of the participants then they won’t be able to join in with the call.
• Video conferencing doesn’t allow for real human interaction, sometimes it is easier to engage with a person face-face rather than on a screen.
• It can sometimes be expensive to set up and run, ensuring that the entire school is equipped with what they need could become costly.
• An issue of safety, the children need to be safe while they are steaming online both in the classroom and at home. They need to understand the dangers of talking to other people online.