WEB CONFERENCING RESEARCH (dated July 2016)

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1 WEB CONFERENCING RESEARCH (dated July 2016) INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to identify how web conferencing software may be used within INASP in the future, gather information and experience from around INASP about packages that people have used and based on that identify the key features of a select number of packages. The online research focused on the key user features of each package (see annex II for more detail) but not the technical requirements. Information available on the different packages is decidedly patchy, often not publicly published and can be over-complicated, so there is no guarantee that what is presented here is 100% accurate! In terms of ways forward, it is recommended practice to test at least one or two of the alternatives to Skype, along with one or two of the web conferencing packages, using the free trial, before deciding on which ones are suitable. YouTube is also a useful resource as you can often find demonstrations of what the different packages look like and how they work, for example WHAT IS WEB CONFERENCING? It might be helpful first to explain the term. Web conferencing is a form of real-time (synchronous) communication in which multiple computer users, via the internet, occupy the same space by accessing a tool using their web browser. Participants can interact using voice, video, chat, and response tools. Web conferencing allows users to conduct meetings and seminars, make presentations, provide demonstrations and run online training opportunities. When choosing a web conferencing platform you will need to determine how you intend to use it. The features need to be useful and suitable for the needs, e.g. one tool may provide you with many features to support webinars and training, but these might be redundant if you want to simply conduct online meetings. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE MEETINGS AND WEBINARS? An online meeting (also referred to as web conferencing) is an interactive method that replicates face-to-face meetings. All participants have an opportunity to speak, offer visual presentations and respond throughout the meeting. It is particularly useful for small groups of individuals meeting for planning or collaborative efforts. A webinar is an interactive online seminar held by a presenter and attended by an audience. Webinars usually follow an agenda and provide auditory and visual access to the information being shared. Typically, the voices of those attending the webinar are muted during the presentation so that the presenter s message comes across clearly, and then s/he may invite live questions at the end. Webinars can act as a marketing tool and they are often used as training tools for the introduction of procedures and policies. FINDINGS In terms of how web conferencing packages might be used within INASP in the future, the following ways were identified: INASP is currently using the free version of Skype for instant (no frills) online meetings (using audio/video for up to 10 participants) For formal one-off webinars e.g. the launch of the EIPM toolkit, for an audience of up to 100 people, with most attendees coming from outside the INASP network and some of whom are unknown to INASP. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

2 For online collaborative meetings, that would benefit from more features than offered by Skype, with fewer connectivity problems, with the ability to also dial-in and can connect more than ten participants on audio/video. Some potential uses cited by staff included: for the active sharing of learning across the different library consortia, AuthorAID embedding partners and the different parliaments VY is working with. These online meetings may also have a role in supporting the regional roundtables as part of INASP s 25 th anniversary celebrations in There was agreement that web conferencing could support joint project planning and proposal development where stakeholders are dispersed and could also be used to follow-up on regional face-to-face meetings. VY currently holds quarterly consortia meetings on Skype and would be interested in looking at alternatives, particularly if they want to start inviting small grant partners to present on specific streams of work at these meetings. For video conversations/ discussions to share learning and experiences more widely. For example AuthorAID hosted a video discussion between online course facilitators around FAQs raised during an online course, which could be viewed by an unlimited number of people in real time or after the event on the YouTube channel. For small scale real time training sessions, which do not require break out rooms, for example refresher sessions and/or going into more depth on specific topics covered in a face-to-face and/or online training. In terms of INASP staff experiences (five as participants, three as presenters and two hosting) the following packages were highlighted: Cisco WebEx, GoToMeeting and ClickWebinar for webinars ranging from people (e.g. presenters and audience on audio with moderated Q&A via a chat stream) Adobe Connect Meetings for an online tutorial (hosted by a university) BigBlueButton giving a talk at an online Moodle conference ClickMeeting for a smaller scale online presentation where all had the opportunity to speak, if they wanted to. Google Hangouts on Air where AuthorAID hosted a video discussion which could be viewed live or later on YouTube. Zoom which was mentioned by a friend who works for the British Council, particularly in terms of simple online meetings, webinars and TEFL lessons. Feedback was generally positive on all of the packages please refer to the third row of the table in annex II for more detail. It is strongly recommended that the software is tested before deciding whether it is suitable for the intended purpose. However, some general recommendations are provided below, based on the online research and from conversations with staff. The more detailed findings and assessment criteria can be found in annex II of this document. For instant no frills online meetings, Skype remains a good bet for long distance calls over the Internet. Despite sporadically poor video quality, installation is easy and people can communicate via desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. It is well known by staff, partners and associates and used by major INGOs across the globe. It allows up to ten connected devices in a single video/audio call and up to 25 on audio only. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

3 As a second choice Google + Hangouts is an option. It has taken measures to address poor call quality, by introducing the ability for participants to adjust their bandwidth. This means you can sacrifice video quality for audio quality if you are suffering connectivity problems. Like Skype it allows up to ten connected devices in a single video/audio call. I couldn t find any mention of numbers for audio only - as with Skype. Something to note, you do need a Google account to use this service, if you want to keep the meeting as a private session. For formal one-off webinars (of around the people mark), involving professionals from within and outside the INASP network, ClickWebinar appears to be a good all-rounder and has received good reviews. It is one of the cheaper options and offers the best value, in terms of features offered and ease of use. There is also the possibility of receiving a discounted rate for registered nonprofit institutions. The webinars are easy to schedule and attendees are not required to download anything in advance. The user interface is very well structured and intuitive to use and the package contains all the essential features, with a good range of host controls. The EIPM team used it to launch their toolkit and feedback was positive, so there is also some familiarity with the package within the organization. The only potential downside, compared with similar packages, could be that it only allows four video streams in one session, compared with the 7-8 streams offered on average by other packages. However this should not pose a great problem when it comes to INASP s needs. For online collaborative meetings (up to 50 people) Zoom is worth trying out. It is the cheapest option (apart from Google Hangouts on Air which is free), it allows for the second largest number of video streams (up to 50) in one session (Adobe Connect is unlimited) All participants can share files. It s popular with the British Council and is reported to work well in extremely low bandwidth environments. It also has add-ons available but at a cost e.g. for break out rooms, extra participants on audio, converting it to a webinar etc. There is also a plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle, so it can be used to support INASP s online training courses. Zoom also has a very helpful live chat function on their website to ask questions about the different plans. This might also be an interesting package to trial for small scale real time training sessions. ClickMeeting is a good second option and has a reputation for being very user-friendly. It has more participant feedback features compared with similar packages on the market, no installation is needed and the host can upload files for sharing, unlike GotoMeeting. There is also a plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle, so it can be used to support INASP online training courses. The only potential downside, compared with similar packages, could be that it only allows four presenters and four video streams at any one time. Across INASP, there is more appetite and interest in online collaborative meetings compared to traditional webinars, where INASP staff are more likely to be participants or presenters rather than hosts, so it would be worth investing more effort in finding the right package for this. For informal video conversations/ discussions (of up to 10 people participating) to share learning and experiences more widely, Google Hangouts + (on Air) is worth using as it s free. It is the same as Google Hangouts +, the only extra feature is that it can be recorded and viewed by an unlimited number of people live or later on YouTube. It is informal and geared towards a more relaxed form of interaction. Ten video streams can run in one session and up to 150 people can join through instant chat. One thing to note is that if you want people to participate who do not have a Gmail account and a Google+ profile, the session needs to be made public. Some feedback is that the learning curve can be quite steep to start with, if you really want to take advantage of all the features on offer. As mentioned already, AuthorAID hosted a video discussion using this package, so again there is some capacity within the organization on how to use it. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

4 ANNEX I TYPICAL FEATURES Audio Video Chat One-way or two-way audio is available in most packages. Audio can be delivered via the internet (voice over internet protocol - VOIP) or by a phone bridge (audio conferencing). One-way or two-way video is offered by all web conferencing platforms. This is very bandwidthintensive, which often limits its use to participants using broadband connections. Using live video throughout a session can be very distracting; so should be used judiciously. Text-based chat allows the participants and presenter to communicate with one another through messaging. Private messaging allows participants to signal difficulties without disrupting a session. Often, chat discussions can be saved as text files and used after the event is over. Questions can be parked to be answered later. The online equivalent of a traditional flip chart, whiteboards allow speakers and participants to post ideas. The primary difference is that many whiteboards allow multiple people to write at the same time. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this feature is rarely used. FACILITIES THAT PROMOTE INTERACTION Emojis Polls & Surveys Whiteboard Annotation Tools Emojis can be used to get a quick check on the pulse of an online session and allow participants to appraise the presenter on the pace and clarity of the content. Asking participants to provide feedback can also be a good re-engagement technique. Use surveys and polls to determine whether participants understand the material and to transition to a new topic. This feature is seldom found in platforms that specialize in convening online meetings. Many web conferencing services offer a whiteboard and annotation tools allowing the host/presenter or the participants to add content live during the web conference. This allows collaborative working, e.g. pooling ideas to create a list or a simple mind map. FEATURES THAT FACILITATE SHARING Recording Screen sharing File sharing Breakout rooms Recording provides you with a secondary resource which can be used by those who missed the live web conference or revisited by those that did. Links to recordings can be sent out by or added to websites e.g. YouTube. This facility allows you to share your full desktop and means that your viewers can see everything on your screen as you open it and move your mouse around. Screen sharing can be useful to showcase resources from your PC. It also gives you the ability to share any type of document with your participants rather than be limited to just the main presentation. Most web conferencing platforms will allow the webinar host to share files with participants. Shared files can be downloaded for participants. While file sharing can be achieved in other ways being able to make relevant documents instantly available during a web conference can be convenient for all. This advanced feature is only likely to be found in premium web conference platforms, at a cost. Breakout rooms allow you to divide your participants in to groups and send them off in to separate rooms for discussion and activities. Usage would be a timed activity, with all participants returning to the main room at some point. While breakout rooms can take your web conference to new levels of interaction they are also more demanding to manage, making it essential to plan your approach carefully in order to fulfil your objectives for including them. This feature is seldom found in web conferencing platforms that specialise in convening online meetings. Based on: Web conferencing research (INASP) July

5 ANNEX II: FOUR POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES TO SKYPE e.g. instant online meetings using video/audio and/or chat Minimum criteria (as requested by staff): free and Mac and PC compatible, no time limit on duration of call, video, audio and chat features, can share screen, no. of video participants allowed on any one given call 5, works on mobile devices and can be used for professional use (rather than personal) Max. no. of devices that can be connected? Requires client app installation? Skype - Up to 10 connected devices in a single video/audio call - Can host a group chat or audio calls for up to 25 people. Google+ Hangouts - Up to 10 connected devices in a single video/audio call - Up to 150 connected devices in a single text chat call - Can only be accessed by participants with a Gmail account or Google+ account. - Works best with a Chrome browser MeetingBurner - Can meet with up to 10 people - Can only see the host s webcam feed Chat? Instant chat Instant chat Can chat with others in meeting space but privately File sharing? - can upload and share docs to Google Drive then share with participants during Hangout Screen sharing? Other? - Audio only from mobiles - No whiteboard Can share host computer screen or look at someone else's screen. - No recording facility - Can keep online notes that everyone can see. Can share host screen or a single application on host desktop (download app) - Meeting scheduling - No recording facility Oovoo Can have up to 12 participants in the video chat Participants don t need to be on Oovoo to attend call Text messaging Fuze - Supports up to 25 participants in a single meeting. - Supports 12 HD video feeds Download Fuze desktop app, then invite participants No Records video and one click upload to YouTube - Docs the host stores are saved to her account so participants can download later - Can record meetings Web conferencing research (INASP) July

6 POTENTIAL PACKAGES FOR WEB CONFERENCING Minimum criteria (as requested by staff): can record sessions, can share screen, video, audio and private chat features, can share the presenter role, no. of participants allowed on any one webinar somewhere between 8 100, can schedule in advance and features for participants to provide instant feedback What is it? General feedback on package (online reviews and INASP staff) Cisco WebEx WebEx Meetings Premium k/ WebEx is a browserbased web conferencing tool that can be used on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. Cisco WebEx Meetings offers a large no. of functionalities, making it a bit too complex and demanding higher learning effort from beginners. Once users have gotten the hang of it, they will really enjoy virtual meetings with this tool ngtest.com/en/tools/web ex_meetings/review Google Hangouts on Air le.com/plus/answer/ ?hl=en-GB Google Hangouts on Air is described as a group video chat service which works on all devices and platforms. Pretty informal, designed for more relaxed online meetings and webinars. AuthorAid have used the package to record FAQ video conversations in support of online courses, which were then uploaded to YouTube. (1) GoToMeeting k (2) GoToWebinar ng.co.uk/webinar GTM is an online meeting service that enables participants to collaborate on documents, give presentations and demonstrate software. It was very easy to use as a participant and it allows organisers to have online polls during the presentation which are good and encourage involvement. Sound and video were good X I used it the other day as a participant. It seemed easy enough, but it wasn t that well run at the start so I Adobe Connect Meetings m/products/adobecon nect.html AC is a Flash based online meeting service that enables participants to collaborate using video, audio, application sharing and chat on any internet browser. A bit on the pricey side. Generous features (maybe too many for what INASP requires) Best one-to-many webinar tool out there I found it very user friendly and intuitive, though I did find bookmarking the link to the particular seminar room very useful as otherwise BigBlueButton (BBB) org/ BBB is a Flash based online meeting service designed for distance learning collaboration in universities. We can try out BBB free of cost Best of the open source options I presented on BBB at a conference last year and both times I ve had a really good experience. I actually interacted a lot with people who attended my talk they wrote comments in the ClickMeeting ClickWebinar (1) ClickMeeting 25 (2) ClickMeeting 50 (3) ClickWebinar 100 ClickWebinar aims to be a high end (but at a low (er) price) solution for anyone needing to collaborate remotely for events and webinars. ClickMeeting is Editors' Choice for videoconferencing tools for small businesses (2017) ckmeeting/69477/revie w/clickmeeting I organized a webinar, using ClickMeeting. It s easier as compared to ClickWebinar or Gotowebinar. One gets a recording and few other options to share it later. I found 8 out of 10 in terms of user Zoom ZoomPro Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, group messaging, and a software-defined conference room solution into one platform. Popular with British Council online TEFL lessons. Works in extremely low bandwidth environments Worth investigating as reports are positive and potential for live training sessions. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

7 X was a presenter on a WebEx hosted one and liked the raise hand function. guess my dissatisfaction was more with the organisation than the software. Quality of sound etc. was fine but some of the speakers had struggled to set themselves up so no-one could hear them at first! X it was a lot of complicated clicking through the university s online learning portal to find it. The sound and video quality seemed absolutely fine, I had a strong internet connection, however some people were joining from other parts of the world such as India and we never seemed to have any issues. If someone was having problems they could instead type in the chat box and this worked fine, it also had a tool to easily switch on and off your mic and to put up your virtual hand if you wanted to say anything. Overall it was a good experience, but I have no idea how much this particular software costs and there may be free software just as good. X chat window while I spoke and I could address them anytime. There were no disconnections or delays. I ve attached a screenshot of a talk I attended, in case you d like to see how it looks. The presenter and even participants can choose to show themselves on video X Some criticisms are that there is a slight audio delay and that the desktop sharing is slower than some other online meeting services. friendliness. It has an option of live chat that helps the organizer to solve issues instantly. The sound and quality was really good. X Used ClickWebinar for launch of toolkit and the team were positive about the experience. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

8 Costs and max. no. of devices that can be connected? VoIP or phone callin? Client app installation? Up to 8 people = 15 p.m. or 12 p.m. (on annual plan) Up to 25 people = 30 p.m. or 24 p.m. (on annual plan) Up to 100 people = 49 p.m. Free Up to 10 connected devices in a single video/audio call Up to around 100 connected devices in a single text chat call Limitless number for simply viewing the call live (1) Share up to six video feeds per session. 15 p.m. or 12 p.m. on annual plan (10 participants) - limited features p.m. or 19 p.m. on annual plan (50 participants) basic features p.m. or 34 p.m. on annual plan (100 participants) full features (2) 69 per organizer/ p.m. (up to 100) (1) Only one published plan for meetings was $55 p.m. per host (plan being currently reviewed by Adobe) for up to 25 people or $45 p.m. per host (on annual plan) Plan for meetings up to 100 participants not publicly available. According to a contact: Y1, license fee for one host ID, was 347, plus 1000 set up. After that it s only the license fee to cover. You have to have a re-seller do the set up. Both Both Both Need to use VoIP or a third-party dial-in service for audio. Need to download a WebEx extension or run a temporary application to join the meeting For it to be private it can only be accessed by users having a Gmail account and a Google+ profile. People without an account can join if (1&2) Windows & Mac users must install the GoToMeeting/ Webinar desktop software in order to host session from their computers. Participants can join Adobe Flash Player required Open source so free in principle but need to pay for hosting and maintenance (just like Moodle). For $40/month, hostbbb.com provides a BBB server that can be used for conferences with 25 users in total in a month. VOIP and hostbbb.com supports direct inward dialing in US and Canada. No. If BBB is integrated with INASP Moodle, those who have an account on our Moodle and have the enrolment key for the space where Clearest pricing information going. (1) Up to 25 people/ up to 2 presenters = 24 p.m. or 18 p.m. (on annual plan) (2) Up to 50 people/ up to 4 presenters = 32 p.m. or 24 p.m. (on annual plan) (3) Up to 100 people/ up to 4 presenters = 64 p.m. or 48 p.m. (on annual plan) ClickMeeting offers discounts of around 20% for registered nonprofit institutions Both No installation required Free when a max. of 40 minutes for group calls (no time limit applies for group calls with a paid account or a one-toone call) ZoomPro paid account costs $14.99 p.m./host or p.m. (on annual plan) Large Meeting $40/month (add-on) Meetings can include 25 participating video streams, host up to 200 viewers or listeners. Web conferencing research (INASP) July Both

9 Messaging/ chat? All participants can use the chat feature. Co-presenters can private chat. host makes the session public. Host needs to have a Google+ account, Google profile and YouTube account (both need to be connected). Can engage in instant messaging or chat Co-presenters can private chat Host can collect and answer questions from viewers before or during the Hangout On Air with the Q&A app. using the desktop app, the browserbased Web App, or by phone or tablet. (1) Can exchange instant chat messages with other participants during a session. If desired, organizers can save a Chat log after the session ends to review messages later. (2) Participants designated as "Attendees" cannot chat with each other on a webinar. They can ask Q&As to organizers and panelists. by default Presenter only area for chat BBB is available can access the conference. in a public window with everyone and privately with one another (the moderator can probably enable or disable private chat) Co-presenters can chat through a private chat window. co-presenters can invite each other to private chat Participants can chat Chat sessions are saved automatically Host can chat with individuals privately or groups Participants can chat with each other Participants designated as Panelists can chat with each other. Attendees can ask questions to panelists, presenters Web conferencing research (INASP) July

10 Features for participants to provide instant feedback? Raise hand feature and instant polls. When a host has turned on the Applause app, viewers can express their opinions with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. A graph will be displayed throughout the broadcast to show what people liked and disliked. or organizers, and the responder can share the answer with all attendees. (Panelists cannot ask Qs to other panelists, but can chat instead.) (1) Does not support polling, surveys, and "quick polls". (2) Polling features which need to be set up in advance and a QuickPoll feature (using three emojis) Polls, Q&A, chat icons, notes, emojis, they can use emoji icons (happy, neutral, sad, confused, and away) to give feedback in addition raising their hand these icons appear next to their name in the participant list, options for polling (details) Can create polls, raise hand, post icons indicating agreement or disagreement Individuals can indicate they have questions with a raise hand feature. Anything to note about video capabilities? Can I share my screen? View videos from up to 7 participants - host can share their desktop, a specific application, or files from their No raise hand feature nor polls Up to 10 connected devices in a single video/audio call Allows host to share computer screen or look at someone else's (1&2) Share up to 6 highdefinition video feeds per session. (1&2) Presenter can share a specific program or document. Also There is no limit on the number of video feeds that can be displayed in a meeting. and host can allow participants to share screens The number of video windows supported in a BBB session depends on the BBB server capacity. Apparently eight video windows can be seen well. - presenter only desktop sharing (need to have Java installed) 4 video feeds ClickWebinar allows audio privileges for the host and presenters, and they can grant audio privileges to individual participants. Host and presenters have the buttons to share desktop themselves. Host could Max. 25 participating video streams Desktop and application sharing Allows host to share Web conferencing research (INASP) July

11 File sharing? Can I turn over sharing control over to diff. copresenters? Is there a break out room function? Can schedule in advance via package? computer, including video Default folders are used to store attachments, recordings and files shared with host by other participants (before, during, and after a meeting) screen. desktop sharing. change the roles and make attendees presenters during the meeting. Host can upload and share other Word, Excel and PPT documents to their Google Drive that can then be shared with participants during the Hangout. host can specify which speaker to show on screen. (1) No File Transfer capability. (2) Host can share up to 5 handouts during one webinar. Handouts are image, music, video or Microsoft Office files that participants can download onto their own devices. (1&2) Can change presenters, and give keyboard control to others. Participants can download files Multiple hosts / presenters in meeting Files can be uploaded and presented with annotations too. PDF works best although Office documents are supported., presenter control can be handed over by the presenter to anyone in the session Host can upload files for sharing, either from her computer or from Dropbox. Host can take over the control of someone else's screen. screen, or other participants can share theirs Host can grant another participant permission to be the host of the meeting No No No No No (as an Add-On at a cost) Not sure (1) Supports an instant meeting. Even if you schedule a meeting for later, you only need to enter in the date and time and it's done. but can't invite non-registered users from within the software; host has to copy the meeting URL and share it using , chat, or social media., application allows you to schedule meetings or create them instantly. Web conferencing research (INASP) July

12 Can I record sessions? Analytics and tracking? Records meetings (including video) No Automatically records and live streams straight to your attached YouTube Channel and/or a website. During a Hangout On Air, the views show how many people are watching the live Hangout On Air event at the time. (2) Requires preplanning and scheduling takes about 3 minutes online. Participants will need to register (enter their name and address) before they can attend. (1&2) - audio only (1) Provides reports on what meetings and numbers of participants. All participants have to create a profile before they can attend a meeting. This makes ad hoc meetings difficult to schedule. audio only Meetings, including on-screen activity, can be recorded and edited, and recordings can be paused and resumed. -can record and playback the slides, audio and chat from sessions but not any webcam content. audio and video together (1) up to 2h video recording (2) up to 4h video recording (3) up to 6h video recording Can record meetings to computer (local recording) or to the cloud (at a cost) Local recording allows you to record meeting video and audio locally on your computer or shared network drive. The recorded file can then be uploaded to your company streaming server or public streaming server such as Youtube. Don t know Web conferencing research (INASP) July

13 Other Can also share a virtual whiteboard for sketches and notes Plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle. After the Hangout On Air is over, the views show how many people watched the live event and the recording. Allows host to keep online notes that everyone participating in the Hangout is able to see. (2) Analyses of who registered, who attended, how interested they were, who took the polls, the results of polls and surveys, and other factors. (1) Can draw, highlight, or annotate a document (2) Annotation tools allow for drawing, highlights, pointing, and a "laser pointer". Survey feature at end available to evaluate webinar. Display logo and custom image on all webinar materials. Plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle. Customizable layouts. Can also download additional features, such as a meeting timer, an MP3 player, a word cloud for brainstorming sessions, and stage lights to keep presenters from running over time. Plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle. Share whiteboard for sketches, annotate documents and presentations as they are shown, use different screen layouts to emphasize different things (eg, video window, presentation window) BBB can be integrated with INASP Moodle. Meeting room rebranding Different modes presenter, Q&A, Listenonly mode, Drawingmode Whiteboard tool Plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle. Use annotations while sharing your screen (like a whiteboard) Plugin so it can be integrated into Moodle. ENDS INASP Annelise Dennis adennis@inasp.info 29/07/16 Web conferencing research (INASP) July