Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder

Tuttle, H., G. (1996). Learning: the star of conferencing. Multimedia Schools, September/October, 37-41.

I'm watching a biology class in action. Using video conferencing technology, high school students ask specific questions of a medical expert who is located in a far away location. The expert answers the students' questions by showing actual medical movie clips and visuals. As he observes their nonverbal reactions, he clarifies some points. He engages the group in a discussion as a student circles an item on the common screen and asks about it. In another classroom, middle school students do skits about multicultural celebrations while classes from other distant schools ask about the meaning of the specific celebration. The next class does its skit, and the classes actively discuss the celebrations before the next class performs. I see and hear highly interactive student learning through video conferencing.

Video conferencing uses long distance learning technologies--video and sound over distance--and creates an interactive learning environment. (Distance learning traditionally refers to a one-way delivery of information.) Video conferencing more closely resembles a real-life conversation. When multiple classes use video conferencing, the students learn from their peers wherever their geographic locations, just like they do in a vibrant, self-contained classroom. The students learn not just from spoken words and visuals, but from body language, actions, and prerecorded 'movies'. It is a very alive "classroom."

VIDEO CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY

To participate in video conferencing, you need audiovisual equipment (camera, transmitting technology (a network, ISDN line, satellite, etc.) between sites, and conferencing software. Once such software is Cornell University's CU-SeeMe, which operates over the Internet. It allows eight simultaneous sites to see and hear each other. Cu-SeeMe functions best at 28.8 baud or higher for its broad bandwidth black-and-white images, and requires a high end Macintosh or Windows machine. It is available by FTP from cuseeme.cornell.edu/pub/video. Other video conferencing software includes Connectix's QuickCam, which can do video conferencing via Ethernet, ISDN or other networks with speeds of 128 KB/sec. Apple's QuickTime Conferencing, VideoLab's FlexCam Bundle, and White Pine's Cu_SeeMe do their video conferencing in color. Except for the original CU-SeeMe software (which is free), video conferencing soft-ware ranges from $99-$550 per unit.

As our elementary class prepares for video conferencing, we plug the video camera into the computer. Then we turn on our computer and open the Cu-SeeMe program. We aim the camera at our group. We check our picture in our school's CU-SeeMe video window. As the other schools' video windows appear, our students hear the other students checking in. When they all are present, we start the conference. We communicate with each other through sounds and visuals regardless of whether we use Macintosh or IBM computers.

LEARN FROM OTHERS

Once you have a sense about how others are effectively using the technology, think carefully about what you wish to do in your classroom keeping your students' learning objectives in mind. This technology is still pretty new to K-12 schools, so learn from others who have tried it. You can ask the school's TV production teacher, the school's long distance teacher, the city's TV production director, or the local cable access production director for helpful hints to create good video conferencing. Such experts usually mention these four very common mistakes: Avoid...

"Talking heads." (Just a picture of a person speaking.) Unfortunately, many newcomers to video conferencing have people talking for many minutes without showing anything except the people's heads. Once we wondered if the person in the Cu-SeeMe window was really there. We heard her voice but we only saw a statue-like face with very little lip movement.

Rather; include in the video conference many different visual elements such as physical actions, mini-movies, signs, pictures, graphs, etc. A test of how well the video conference communicates is to ask: "Could the same conference happen if we were just talking on the telephone?"

Simple information exchanges.

If students simply give a state's information such as Florida's population to the other classes, no new information has been exchanged. Anyone could find the same information in a book in their own school library. Rather, help the students show new perspectives, solve real-life problems, etc.

One-way exchanges. In many long distance learning conferences, students are fortunate to be able to answer a question, let alone ask one. In video conferences, all students should be active participants. Build these interactions into the conference. We request each student to ask at least one question during the conference. You might suggest, for example, that each group gives at least a one mini-presentation and ask at least two questions about the other presentations.

Ineffective visuals. During a video conference, our class was shown a map without knowing what was important. A map with an arrow can show the direction of travel. A well-labeled graph can convey much information. Help students to communicate more effectively with visuals.

Once you know the major mistakes educators make in video conferencing, make a plan for successful video conferencing. The following ten guidelines will help you plan educationally sound video conferences.

1. Have a clear purpose. Are your students to argue why their water quality is better than that of other classes? Are they to show how the geography and culture influence regional food? Are they to work with the other classes to suggest solutions to school violence? Make sure all the classes are very clear on their goals for the video conference so that they have time to prepare.

2. Make it personal. Introduce each class or group at the beginning of the conference. Ask each individual to introduce him or herself before asking a question. Direct questions or comments to specific individuals or groups. For example, our Ithaca group asks the Columbus group: "Do you think most giants in children's literature are bad? What does this mean for big' people working with little children?"

3. Keep it short. Start with a five-minute conference to get all groups used to video conferencing. For example, our students state the major topic or theme at the beginning and summarize it at the end. Be more concerned about the content than the duration of the video conference.

4. Keep it small. Limit the number of different schools or classes for the video conference. Try' for at least three groups so that there is a greater variety of opinions, but do not include so many that there is chaos. We like CU-SeeMe, one of the earliest video conferencing software, since it allows for a maximum of eight classes.

5. Prepare your students. Your students need to practice their arguments, have all the videos ready, have their text signs ready, have all their props ready, think through how their body will communicate information, etc. Have the students prepare a storyboard of exactly what they will present-what visuals and sounds the other classes will see and hear and in what order. We have our students go through a practice session so they know which student does what (action, words, signs, etc.) and in what order. Often we encounter problems in moving students or positioning signs. Make sure everyone and everything is ready before the conference starts. Make sure everyone knows the exact time the conference will start. Allow for at least a ten-minute pretesting of the equipment and connections before the actual conference.

6. Use a shared screen. Initially, focus all participants' attention on a common issue or problem. We started an energy video conference with a visual of a student's home. Have students react to the other group's visual through drawing symbols or writing comments next to it. More sophisticated video conferencing programs allow for all the groups to makes changes to the same application such as a spreadsheet as they speak.

7. Plan for interactions. Design the video conference so that the students have to interact. Our class was disappointed when in an early video conference, Group A reported, then Group B, then Group C, and then the conference was over. Build into the conference differences of opinions, a controversy, a common final product or jigsaw activities. (The whole group's final product is a combination of each group's contribution.) While advanced preparation is necessary, be sure to include some spontaneous thinking time.

8. Use effective visuals. Use a variety of signs and images to keep the video conference interesting and educational. Be sure that the visuals chosen communicate effectively. Help students to establish guidelines so they can select effective visuals. For example, the guidelines may say that each visual needs to have a definite message and be easy to read. We have our students use wide margins, large, easy-to-read lettering, and vivid colors. They avoid minuscule details and too many details in their visuals. Remind your students that it is better to have several signs, each with a strong central message, than one sign with many messages. Suggest that they can use color to organize ideas such as all positive statements in dark blue and all criticisms in dark red. Check with your graphics art teacher, art teacher, journalism teacher, or local graphic artists for additional hints.

9. Use video. Select video segments carefully and keep them focused on the topic. As an example of what not to do, we once viewed another class' long video about their local river of which only 20% highlighted the stated problem of river pollution. Use many short segments to make up the presentation. Avoid any one image being shown on the screen for longer than 15 seconds. (Analyze the TV news to see how long each image lasts on the screen.) Instead of showing just one picture of the school's colonial garden for a whole minute, use many different pictures of the garden.

10. Assess the impact. Ask students to list what they learned from the conference. Ask them to distinguish what they learned from words, visuals, actions, and body language. Another assessment technique is for students to do a web of their learning on the topic before and after the video conference. Keep a cumulative list of the things that make the video conference a good learning experience. Ask students what they think could make it better. Create a cumulative list of those technical improvements. Increase your list of the type of activities that work well in video conferencing and those that don't.

CLASSROOM IDEAS

Group Brainstorming. As an elementary class starts off a concept map or learning web on the aspects of freedom, the other classes can add their ideas until the whole group has completed the learning map. Each middle school group can individually brainstorm a problem such as school violence and then share their ideas during the video conference.

Simulations/Skits. One elementary class can lead the other classes through a simulation such as the underground railroad. The other classes can make decisions as what they do when they see town signs, geographical features, bounty hunter pictures, possible station signals. Or, high school students can simulate a U.N. Security Council discussion; each student can play the role of a different nation as they discuss an international issue.

Round Table Discussions. High school students can discuss the societal meaning of a painting such as Picasso's Guernica and share their own artwork to illustrate modern problems.

Points of View/Debate. Each middle school group presents a different point of view to the chosen problem such as Wall-Mart wanting to come to a local town. Various groups can represent the local merchants, the environmental group, the consumer group, the Anti WalMart group, the Pro "Wal-Mart group the local politicians, etc. High school students can discuss an issue from various points of view such as '"How would Albert Schweitzer, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Frank Lloyd Wright want to solve drug use among youth?" They combine the "best' concepts of each famous person to create a "new" solution.

Group Presentations. After they have completed their research, high school students use the video conference to illustrate how the various community buildings and structures make life easier or harder for senior citizens. For example, a ramp at a government building makes it easier for a wheelchair-bound person to have access, but high curbs make it harder. After each class shows a graph of the percent of senior citizens in their community, all the classes discuss what services the local community provides for these people and what other services might be needed. The whole group creates a master list of possible needed services.

Jigsaw information. All high school groups can work on planning for a CD-ROM yearbook. One group researches what a CD-ROM yearbook looks like. A second investigates what problems schools have had with CD-ROM yearbooks. A third group analyzes CD-ROM drives. A fourth group creates a questionnaire about whether students want a CD-ROM yearbook. During the video conference each group reports on its findings.

Language/Culture. Our New York State elementary class worked with a class in France to sing songs together. Our two classes came to realize how similar each other looks and acts and how much fun we can have together. Students can practice foreign language or sign language skills with others. U.S. high school students studying Spanish can discuss the good and the bad of a popular music group with students in Mexico.

Models/Demonstrations. Each elementary class shows how to rollerblade safely with actual demonstrations. At the end, the whole group has a common list of safety hints. Each middle school class can design a perfect" classroom, show it to the other classes, and tell its advantages. At the end of the video conference, all classes can agree on the essential parts of a perfect classroom.

Mysteries/Games. Have each elementary class prepare visuals for a mystery location. They show their visuals one at a time and give oral clues; the other classes try to guess their mystery location.

Interviews. One middle school class can sponsor an expert, a World War II veteran, a local story teller, a Native American, etc. and the other classes can ask well thought-out questions. Our class interviewed a London educator about life in London as she showed us actual street scenes outside her school.

STAR OF THE SHOW

Video conferencing gets students out from the four walls of the school to learn with and from others. While it takes much preparation time to plan a video conference, the students learn so much in actively sharing and asking information from others. Try it! You will make your students "stars" of their own learning.

Dr. Harry Grover Tuttle is a subject area technology integration teacher for the Ithaca City School District. A past president of the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education, he edits its restructuring newsletter. A past president of ISTE Technology Coordinators' SIG, he edits its journal, Connections.