Videoconferencing in the Classroom: The Wave of the Future?
Videoconferencing in the classroom, whether it be a classroom full of eager ten year olds or a roomful of earnest twenty something university students, is gaining in popularity and is predicted to become the wave of the future and more commonplace in classrooms all over the world. Videoconferencing brings a whole new dimension to how teachers educate their students and it encourages a thirst for learning. Videoconferencing has many advantages and some of these include the ability to plan ahead which is beneficial for both students and teachers; the opportunity to interact and communicate with experts in a given field; the valuable opportunity to learn about cultural differences from place to place as it is firsthand learning that takes into account different styles of learning by using such things as animations, video clips, graphics and audio; it increases levels of motivation as this form of technology for learning is favored by many students; it encourages a better retention of material as the learning comes from primary, as opposed to secondary, sources and finally, there is the opportunity to improve skills such as questioning skills, presentation skills, speaking skills, communication skills and management skills.
Videoconferencing is still in its infancy in the classroom setting but it is a teaching device that shows promise. Videoconferencing is considered to be “an interactive communication medium which lets students and teachers have a visual connection to those they are working with whether they are down the hall, across the street or on the other side of the globe.” And the cost is becoming more and more affordable for educators as prices for computers, cameras and low cost (or sometimes even free) software (such as CU-SeeMe) makes its way into institutions of learning.
Videoconferencing can be used (and has been used successfully) in many classrooms across the nation in a variety of beneficial ways. These include collaborations, sharing and/or informal chats, the reporting of news, planning, guest experts, guest visitors, training, virtual field trips, team learning and teaching and last but not least, student competitions. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these innovative concepts that make use of videoconferencing technology.
Groups can collaborate on projects, and work assignments and by so doing share a “visual connection” in a variety of locations when it is impossible to physically work together. This allows for an exchange of ideas that crosses cultural lines as well as borders. A learning relationship can develop between students in the classroom when they are given the opportunity to show each other their school projects (whether they be individual or group projects), share the books they are reading, as well as their book reports, and also read their original pieces of creative work such as short stories and essays. This helps to increase self-esteem in children and is an excellent morale booster for the classroom.
News is an important element of everyday life and current events have been made an essential of class time as well. News via videoconferencing can be shown to students all over the globe and the best part is that it can be shown as it is taking place. It is “up to the minute.” There is no more rushing home from school to watch the breaking news stories on television that were recorded hours earlier. For example, in the recent past in schools cyber events, celebrations (such as the National Science Foundation’s Science and Technology Week) and NASA space flights as well as eclipses have been made available to students by way of videoconferencing technology. Teachers from one place to another can videoconference with other teachers to plan projects and future school events, brainstorm ideas, and discuss lessons and to talk about the progress of their students.
Guest experts can be brought into the classroom, not in the physical sense, but by way of the advanced technology of videoconferencing. In the recent past students have had the opportunity to hear the wise words of authors, scientists, police people, politicians and many others with a particular field of expertise. It is first hand learning at its finest. Guest visitors have also visited classrooms videoconferencing style. Examples include guests in costumes that represent a particular literary and/or historical figure such as Shakespeare or Napoleon Bonaparte.
Plenty of training in learning how to make use of techniques, new software, learning about the Internet, specific computer applications such as PowerPoint and designing a web page is possible when videoconferencing is made available in classrooms. Distance, time and costs often make certain kinds of field trips impossible but videoconferencing brings field trips in the form of “virtual field trips” back into the classroom. Some of the virtual field trips that have been enjoyed in the past include trips to aquariums, hospitals, libraries, museums, zoos and many others. Teaching and team learning can pair up students and teachers and can allow for presentations that are put on via videoconferencing and take place in a select number of locations. Competitions between students are popular events that occur through videoconferencing. These include such competitions as spelling bees, geography bees, trivia challenges, math competitions and so on.
