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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Planning

Production

Presentation

Classroom Management

Interaction

Assessment

APPENDICES

Glossary

Sample Assignment for "An Arctic Year" Web Site

Videoconferencing Resources

Planning

A videoconference connects two or more sites with audio and video links so that participants can converse, interact, and share documents. As a distance education tool, videoconferences help teachers reach any students who are isolated in distance or time from an instructor.

Like other technology--from television to e-mail--a videoconference is a tool to deliver course content. Distance education in general and videoconferencing in particular bring considerations and challenges not encountered in classrooms bound by four walls, but it can also make learning more accessible, relevant, and exciting.

The goals of distance education courses should be aligned with the educational goals of the school and district. Keeping this in mind during the planning stage helps ensure that courses, and the entire distance education program, meet students' needs.

Planning is always the first step in introducing a new instructional technique, and this chapter addresses the crucial planning needs for teachers new to videoconferencing. This chapter covers:

• Uses of videoconferencing
• Hardware and software
• Classroom teams
• Training needs

The North Slope Borough School District in Barrow, Alaska, first began using videoconference technology to reach outlying villages. The goals of videoconferencing were drawn from the district's technology integration goals, which were directly related to the district's strategic planning goals to:

• Deliver instruction to students of diverse cultures
• Offer equitable instruction to all students
• Improve the quality and effectiveness of instruction
• Offer the means to acquire and process information
• Provide educational support in all areas of curricula
• Prepare students to work and live in the information age

These goals guided distance education teachers in identifying program objectives, prioritizing student needs, and designing courses. And because the district's strategic planning goals had been written with input from the communities served, the distance education team knew that the videoconference classes would contribute to larger community needs.

Uses of Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing can help teachers reach geographically isolated students; it can connect classrooms in different grades for collaborative projects, and it can allow a district to deliver in-service and other training to all teachers and staff. Below are examples of how the technology can be used for instructional and administrative purposes.

Instructional

• Semester and year-long courses in art, computer technology, drama, health, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies
• Project collaboration between classrooms in and outside of a district
• Individual and group conferencing with students on particular topics or issues
• Curriculum development
• Continuing education or other college courses

Administrative

• Staff development
• Departmental meetings
• Staff organizational meetings
• Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) development and advice
• Job candidate interviews

Videoconferencing can also benefit the community at large, bringing together several towns or villages for special events or important meetings.

Hardware and Software

Interrelationships of videoconferencing components

Classroom Teams

Assembling and training a core team of teachers and staff who make up the videoconference or distance education team are key to the planning phase. A distance education team includes teachers and staff from several schools, each of whom has responsibilities that ensure the success of individual videoconferences and the effectiveness of the entire program. In most cases, the presenting site, where the video and audio connections are initiated, assembles other team members from receiving sites.

Because teams include teachers and staff in different schools, administrators at all participating sites should be included in the first stages of planning, including goal setting and team building. Though instructional decisions are made by the team, usually with one teacher at the presenting site acting as lead, building administrators at receiving sites maintain a supervisory role over their participating staff. When decisionmakers support the distance education program and understand the needs of its staff, they can provide team members with necessary planning time, allocate resources, and effectively resolve management issues.

Before videoconference instruction begins, all instructors and assistants should meet and review their responsibilities. Clearly defining responsibilities at the start will save time and frustration later. The make-up of any distance education or videoconference team varies across programs, but basic functions remain constant. The following descriptions outline a typical team of instructors and assistants and the responsibilities they usually handle.

Presenting Site

Lead Teacher. The lead teacher is responsible for developing and delivering course content. The lead teacher works closely with all other team members to ensure that students and staff are prepared for each videoconference. He or she also develops contingency lesson plans in the event the videoconference connection fails or other problems prevent the videoconference lesson from going forward. Other responsibilities include:

• Call the roll of participating sites (teaching partners take attendance in their own classrooms)
• Plan lessons and lead instruction
• Modify and adjust instruction and activities as needed
• Review videoconference etiquette and classroom procedures with students
• Provide opportunities for students to publish and share work
• Allow students to communicate with other students and staff
• Communicate any problems or concerns with team members
• Be enthusiastic (students may misread a neutral stance as negative)
• Design and produce class materials
  • Create lesson plans, assignment sheets, rubrics, test keys
  • Share materials in a timely manner
  • Identify supplies needed at receiving sites for lessons
• Provide a list of supplies and other materials to sites in a timely manner

Leading instruction at various, distant classrooms requires significant preparation time, open communication to resolve problems quickly, and the ability to be flexible or improvise when unexpected technical glitches occur.

• Videoconference Coordinator. The videoconference coordinator oversees scheduling and equipment concerns. The coordinator ensures that rooms, hardware, and software are available, arranges for connecting with receiving sites, makes and confirms schedules with all videoconference participants, building supervisors, and other necessary parties.
• Producer. The producer manages the video and audio equipment during a videoconference, which includes managing multiple video and audio inputs and organizing materials so that they can be easily displayed for the receiving sites.
• Videoconference Technician. The videoconference technician makes sure that the hardware and software are in working order during the videoconference.
• Expeditor. The expeditor receives, sorts, sends, and keeps track of documents, assignments, and supplies that are shared between sites.

Receiving site

Teaching Partner. The teaching partner is the lead teacher's counterpart at the receiving site, working directly with students there. Though the partner often has less instructional responsibility, he or she plays a crucial role in the videoconference, setting the tone in the far-site classroom, keeping students focused, and addressing any necessary disciplinary issues. The teaching partner coordinates with the lead teacher to prepare materials and students for the class. He or she must also understand the lesson's goals, activities, and pace, and communicate with the lead teacher when equipment difficulties arise or students cannot follow the lesson. When the teaching partner is also a certified teacher, the relationship with the lead teacher is more conducive to collaboration on course design and lesson planning. A teaching partner who is not a certified teacher (e.g., a parent or staff member) may take on a role similar to an assistant. Teaching partners' responsibilities include:

• Turn on equipment 15 minutes before class begins
• Prepare supplies and materials before class begins
• Notify technician and lead teacher of connection or equipment difficulties
• Have students seated and ready for class
• Assign responsibilities and communicate classroom procedures for students in receiving-site classroom
• Assign a spokesperson to represent the site during the videoconference, and rotate this responsibility
• Allow students to speak and answer questions
• Communicate enthusiasm, encourage students, and support the lead teacher
• Communicate any problems students may have with lesson objectives or activities
• Publish or display student work on course Web site
• Grade tests and record scores for projects and activities

Videoconference Coordinator. The coordinator at the receiving site ensures that rooms and equipment are scheduled for the videoconference. The teaching partner may also take on these responsibilities.

Producer. The receiving-site producer has many of the same responsibilities as the presenting site's producer. He or she should know how the videoconferencing equipment works, and oversees it during a videoconference. A student can fill this role.

Videoconference Technician. Like the technician at the presenting site, the receiving-site technician ensures all equipment is in working order and ready for the videoconference. The technician need not be professionally trained but should have good problem-solving and communication skills. The technician must let others know when a problem occurs that he or she cannot solve. This is also an appropriate role for a student.

Expeditor. The receiving site expeditor receives materials and supplies from the lead teacher and ensures they are delivered to the appropriate people in a timely manner. The expeditor may also send materials and return borrowed equipment to the lead teacher.

Students. Students at both presenting and receiving sites should expect to:

• Participate in class discussions and activities
• Come prepared for class
• Complete assignments on time
• Ask questions to clarify instruction
• Show enthusiasm and interest in instruction
• Share and publish work
• Work with others to complete assignments
• Encourage classmates
• Communicate any problems and concerns promptly

Other Supporting Roles

Successful systems can include individuals who are part of the system but are at neither presenting or receiving sites. These people include the following:

Connection Manager. Connection management and troubleshooting are often handled by the commercial provider of the videoconferencing equipment or by a state agency. It is important that all team members know who provides these services and how to reach a contact person so that connection problems can be resolved quickly.

Videoconference Equipment Support. Support for videoconferencing hardware and software may also be provided by a commercial vendor. All team members should know how to contact appropriate vendors in the event of problems.

Other Troubleshooters. The videoconferencing center, which may be in a school district or educational service agency, may designate additional staff to provide technical and equipment support. All team members should be aware of these troubleshooters, the problems they can address, and their contact information.

Training Needs

This section addresses the areas in which distance education team members should receive training or instruction in order to begin using videoconferencing equipment, computer hardware, and software. Every member of the videoconferencing team should receive training. If students are not incorporated into the distance education team, they should receive a thorough orientation to the goals of videoconferencing, the process of a videoconferencing class, and expectations for their participation.

Equipment and Software

Anyone involved in a videoconference should be oriented to the videoconferencing equipment and software, including lead teachers, teaching partners, technical assistants, and students. When students are included in such training, they can become valuable assets to instructors and more active participants in their learning. Training on equipment and software should include:

• Using equipment and hardware (e.g., document viewer)
• Using software
• Connecting for a videoconference
• Troubleshooting equipment, software, and connection problems
• Basic computer skills
• Internet searching skills
• Developing and managing a Web site
• Using other equipment and software for communication (e.g., e-mail, bulletin boards, fax)

Instruction

Lead teachers and teaching partners should receive training on:

• Modifying courses for videoconference delivery
• Presentation strategies
• Material (paper, markers, props, transparencies, timers) used for production and presentation
• Team teaching strategies/assisting lead instructor

Teamwork

Teamwork and team-building training will vary based on the extent to which the various sites collaborate. Initial training should address basic issues that will ensure that all videoconference participants know their roles and responsibilities. Lead teachers, teaching partners, technical assistants, students, and even building administrators should be familiar with:

• Goals and objectives for using technology in instruction
• Goals and objectives for using videoconferences as an instructional tool
• Roles and responsibilities of all participants

Other topics of training that will assist in teamwork include communicating effectively and supporting lead teachers.

Classroom Management

Lead teachers and teaching partners should receive training in effectively managing a videoconferencing classroom. Procedures and expectations for a videoconference course should be communicated to all participants, including technical assistants and students if they have not been involved in the planning stages. Briefings or training can address:

• Videoconference etiquette
• Techniques for effective participation
• Use of communication tools (e.g., e-mail, Web chat rooms, fax)

Training Tips

These training tips are for hired trainers or teachers who act as trainers to their peers.

• Define needs and objectives for training with input from participants
• Hire trainers who have experience in education or knowledge of teachers' concerns
• Define objectives for use of videoconferencing technology
• Define job descriptions and expectations for the members of the videoconference team
• Provide follow-up training after team has had experience with the equipment
• Provide incentives for training, such as college credit, release time, professional development
• Provide staff with resources that reinforce concepts covered in training
• Design a training project so that participants have hands-on experience with the equipment and software
• Provide a training that gives participants a project model directly applicable to their work
• Provide concrete examples when training
• Consider a train-the-trainer approach so that core distance education team members can train others at their sites
• Create peer mentoring opportunities, matching veteran team members with new ones
• Provide ongoing support through staff development, conferences, and networking with peers around the country

To participate in the review of this Guide, click on Evaluation Form for a paper version of the form and on Online Evaluation for an electronic version.

Copyright ©2000 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory