Title: Video Conferencing
Course: TOPkit Sample Course Lite > Section: Module 5 - Enhancing Your Course with Emerging Technology

Notes for Course Facilitator

Summary:

This page describes video conferencing and offers instructional strategies regarding use of video conferencing in online and mixed-mode courses.

Suggestions:

- It is recommended that this page be updated to include specific resources related to video conferencing at your institution.

Gentle reminder: Update all content highlighted in yellow to reflect your institution.

What is Video Conferencing?

Video conferencing connects two or more individuals in different locations and allows them to interact via video and audio transmission. This grants individuals the ability to interact with each other when they cannot physically meet. At <Replace - Institution Name>, video conferencing is used by instructors and students alike. For instructors teaching online, it allows them to have in-depth conversations that are otherwise difficult to conduct via email.

During Module 3, you learned about the Conferences tool available within <Replace - Your LMS>. A few benefits of using the Conferences tool are that students can access it within your course, it is free, and it allows you to connect multiple video feeds at once. There are other programs that you may want to use for video collaboration. Although there are many more; the three most widely used are:

1. Lync/Skype for Business - originally created so users could make calls over the Internet, it can now be used for video conferencing between users.
2. GoogleHangouts - Google Hangouts bring conversations to life with photos, emoji, and even group video calls for free. Connect with friends across computers, Android, and Apple devices.
3. Adobe Connect - a web collaboration tool that is used for creating presentations, training materials, and video conferencing. It features unlimited meeting rooms, screen sharing, and breakout sessions within meetings. One of the benefits of using Adobe Connect is that an archive of the session is created which allows students to access it later.

Instructional Strategies & Best Practices

- For instructors, video conferencing is useful for setting up virtual office hours to meet with students. This is convenient for instructors who teach from off-campus and for students who are not physically on a college campus.
- Encourage students to use video conferencing while collaborating with others for group work and other assignments.
- Both Skype and Adobe Connect exist outside of web-based courses and cannot be incorporated into Course Management Systems (CMSs). For this reason, it is important to keep FERPA laws in mind and make sure to refrain from discussing sensitive material while using these types of media.
- FERPA does not allow video collaboration to be used as the primary mode of instruction. Also, it cannot be used for testing, due to the inability to ensure who is in the course.
- Accessibility is achieved through an add-on for Adobe Connect. However, there is a charge for transcription services.

Optional Further Reading

To learn more about using video conferencing, select any of the links listed below:

- Skype – Features and Download – supplies information and more detailed descriptions of Skype features and includes a software download link as well.
- Skype – FAQs and Support - contains frequently asked questions about Skype plus user support information.

TOPKit Sample Course was prepared by the University of Central Florida (UCF). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.