What You Don t Know About Web Conferencing and Synchronous Technologies for Education and Training

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1 What You Don t Know About Web Conferencing and Synchronous Technologies for Education and Training Andrew Black, PhD, MBA Executive Director of Educational Technologies Assistant Professor University of Utah College of Nursing Wainhouse Research UC&C Summit July, 2014 Running two systems at the same time! 1

2 What We Wanted Overall What we wanted: A single system that provides video and web conferencing technologies seamlessly and does both well Provide web based access for distance students and faculty Reduce our bridge utilization in order to reduce cost Hosted session recording (not local, requiring faculty to upload) Preferred integration with Canvas 24x7 user support for students and faculty, with live monitoring and available support during class sessions What We Wanted Video Video conferencing to many (up to 20+) in a Hollywood Squares type of format Everyone can be seen at once Still have video and audio quality, speed, and stability Deliver desktop and multimedia content through the same system, without overlapping the live video feeds (a breakout window?) Available dial in access in case of technical trouble 2

3 What We Wanted Web Conferencing Desktop and application sharing Live chat with participants Ability to share YouTube and multimedia videos including the audio through the system PowerPoint presentations, uploaded and stored by account so they can be pulled up in any classroom Live polling/hand raising/survey tools Audio sharing for participants, control by presenter What We Found Most systems were good at one technology, but not as good at the other Some systems reviewed focused first on videoconferencing, and second on content sharing Others reviewed focused first on content sharing and typical web conferencing features, and second on video conferencing We struggled to find any that did both well or that met all of our desired feature requirements Example: Web conferencing features worked very well, but because the connection was Internet based, video and multimedia sharing were poor 3

4 Technical Issues Internet speed constraints Video conferencing over Internet limitations and quality YouTube and other multimedia sharing lack audio and quality Session recording issues, hosted vs. non hosted LMS integration Dropped connections Poor live video quality, pixilation; poor recording quality Complex user interfaces, difficult for faculty to operate Java and Flash functionality issues Live video layouts did not meet our needs Multiple applications required to do different things Common Web Conferencing Tools Among 60+ systems reviewed, the following are common features and not differentiating: PowerPoint uploads Live audio Screen share Live chat Some form of polling, emoticons, hand raising Whiteboard YouTube and multimedia presenting through screen share, but no audio pass through 4

5 Differentiating Web Conferencing Features General features that tend to differ among systems include: Live video (# of participants visible and layout) Hosting Session recording Cost plans, number of participants supported API s and LMS integration The following slides are drawn from selected systems reviewed which are generally more popular or mention a focus on education: (I am sure I will miss features, but these are the ones that stood out during my review ) Free (add supported) up to 200 attendees (paid plans remove ads) Direct YouTube link feeds and will pass through audio! Up to 6 live video feeds Hosted recording available with paid plan Free dial in options for audio, including for presenter Facebook and Twitter integration Hosted solution, including recording storage sharable through a URL direct to the recording $18/month 25 attendees, $78/month 200 attendees (annual plans less expensive) This system was the easiest to use and student favored (as well as my own personal favorite), but more expensive so not selected 5

6 Open Source web conferencing Developer friendly, with API s for LMS integration Integrated in Canvas, now with recording, but significant issues with stability, quality and feature capabilities so we don t use or recommend it Video options unlimited feeds Recording capable, but not hosted We tried this as well as InkToGo, but the recordings did not turn out well Currently at a.81 version release Hosted solutions available One click recording Robust echo cancellation built in Simple participant permissions management Breakout rooms Mobile device support (works very well) Built in phone conferencing (NA Enterprise license only) Flat fee licensing model I have used this system for the past two years with another institution and have figured out how to make it work well. However, it is costly, and the other institution has made a new choice effective July

7 Up to 10 concurrent video feeds (relies on Internet bandwidth) Call phones from the computer interface Multi platform and mobile device support Recording through YouTube channel (Hangouts On Air) This feature is a deterrent for us No desktop or content sharing Free Supports multiple platforms, including mobile devices Up to 6 live video feeds Recording, including both phone and microphone inputs Draw and highlight on screen Custom branding API integration with many current LMS s 30 day free trial, purchases depend on the number of participants desired and length of time I spoke extensively with sales last fall as they were really trying hard to get in to the education market, but it was still very expensive 7

8 Free and paid (Pro) versions Free up to 10 participants Paid up to 250 participants Multi monitor Send files Mobile device viewers Share control Pro=$13/month with annual purchase, $19/month otherwise Pro version comes with all the other bells and whistles No video Not an integrated solution with Canvas, and not focused on education with recording features Web conferencing with video up to 4 live feeds, and 25 total participants Audio conferencing support depends on the plan purchased Multi platform and ipad support (to watch video portion only), recordings playable on Android 200 slides limit for web conferences Simple recording with hosted access Purchase plans depend on number of participants (25 ($49/mo), 150, 500, 3000 ($499/mo) 8

9 Up to 10 live video feeds Facebook integration Screen and group screen sharing Send files and contacts SMS and voice messaging Skype Group is now available for free (too much competition from others like Google Hangouts?) We have used this for classes and meetings, and experienced a large number of technical issues, dropped connections, poor quality Always on, continuous meeting rooms Custom branding Built in screen capture tool Up to 5 live video feeds Dial in to meetings using standard phone lines Voice mail directly in sticky notes No recording Free ad supported. $9.95/mo up to 50, $19.95/mo up to 150 9

10 Up to 7 live video feeds Multi platform support, including mobile devices Meeting Spaces (one stop shop for all meeting content, chats, files, and other features) Remote control features Conference call capable, VoIP or Toll calls Free up to 3 people, plans for 8, 25 and 100 participants from $24 $89/month (annual pricing is less expensive) Integrated with MS Office 365 Lync Skype connectivity Up to 5 live video feeds in meetings Multi platform support, including mobile devices Client Access Licenses (CAL s), User Subscription Licenses (USL s), and Client Licenses (CL s through Office Professional Plus, as well as a standalone version) available We are currently using this as well, and have tried it in a couple of classes and meetings with limited video requirements. It has worked well. Still working on a possible Canvas integration 10

11 Separate web conferencing, audio and video conferencing solutions available Web conferencing offers similar basic features as other plans Video conferencing offered through bridging services Pay per use, hourly, and unlimited plans This is the solution chosen by my second institution (primarily cost driven) and implemented as of June 30 Session recordings generate multiple files each time screen sharing changes. Recordings saved locally. Had to figure out which files to upload to the course for student playback A few limiting factors in host participant control, such as mics and webcams The solution selected by the UofU College of Nursing Still not Perfect Web based solution Supports multiple platforms Unlimited live audio and video Hosted, on premise and managed solutions Video conferencing system integration Many purchasing options Several vendors offer hosted Connect solutions Closest match to all of our requirements and lowest cost Not currently integrated in our Canvas system (not a campus wide selection) No audio pass through for YouTube (must place the mic by the speaker) Recording link access and upload to Canvas is not seamless/user friendly 11

12 Summary Looking Forward Our PhD nursing and DNP programs still use Cisco Jabber over the Utah Education Network bridging service, as well as Connect for certain course needs We are working with them to migrate to Connect or Lync We have one course being taught using Lync this summer in a different degree program Perfect System? The Perfect system for us: Combine the common web conferencing tools with live video feeds up to 20 in a separate window, and do so with quality in both areas Hosted + recording using URL access Integration with Canvas Multimedia sharing with audio pass through, and recording including the video feed, chat and participants Mobile device access, plus dial in availability 24x7 user support and live session monitoring Pop out window components (video, chat, etc.) Overcome technology restraints: Internet bandwidth requirements, wireless connection stability for live sessions, etc. 12