Skype?
Has anyone used Skype in their classrooms? We probably all rely on the Breeze Connet but the ability to have real time face time with students is fascinating. Is it doable yet to have multi party conference chats and if so, how did it go? Pros? Cons?
I haven't used Skype but we have used Adobe Connect in a course I took on distance education at Oxford Unversity. Technological glitches frustrated most of the participants.
We use the Connect software and when its working, its great. Glitches are frustrating but I hope that with more errors come more solutions.......come more errors......come more solutions....come more, well you get the point.
Great question William. I have not used Skype in my online classes before. Has anyone else in the discussion?
I am based in the US but am originally from the UK. Due to this fact I use Skype regularly and find it an invaluable tool for keeping in touch. I have often wondered why it is not being used in class rooms, as the potential for learning is huge with regards to this online tool. Also it is free, simple to set up, and gives many options of how you can communicate with others on the web,video conference, IM, Voice only, text, etc. It also has a conference call setting which has come a long way since its inception. Put bluntly, I believe Skype should be utilized by as many educators as possible in order to broaden their students horizons.
I agree that Skype could be a great tool in the online classroom. Thanks for sharing your comments Andrew.
Skype has come up at my institution as a Student Service tool but not as a classroom tool. I believe that there are other means of lecture capture that incorporate video (the name escapes me at the moment). My concern with Skype is the reliance on internet security that is not implemented by the institution and how that may interface with FERPA concerns. Any thoughts on my assertion?
Hmmm--that is an interesting question. Security and FERPA is always an issue that we need to be concerned with, but I am not sure of the answer for this particular question. Does anyone else have any thoughts?
I have used Skype for a work setting. Unfortunately, there are the same availability concerns you get with organized chat sessions. I think it is a great resource but it has its place just like the synchronous and asynchronous discussions.
I agree it can be a great resource. Thanks for your comments Jeremiah.
Hi William,
I don't use Skype in the classroom, but I have found that if I have a number of students who want special help outside the classroom without everyone knowing that Skype is a great tool to use.
I like skype can the student can or can't see you depending on how they want to do it. I have helped numerous students outside the classroom in this way.
Terry Armentrout
I have been teaching traditional for 10 yrs at the college level,7 at the public school level and 8 yrs on line. I also work at a university and I have no idea what this is! I have also worked for the largest corporations in America including a telecom corporation...could this be called something else or maybe region specific?
Hello William,
I have not used skype, but our live chats have the ability to connect our webcam and microphone. I notice a difference when students can physically see the instructor.
It seems to add a more personal level to the discussions. Dependent and participatory students really like this aspect of the chats.
I think it adds an element of "realness", for lack of a better word. Many of my online students in my Interpersonal Class create speeches through YouTube and they love the fact that they get to physically see me and their fellow students.
I have not used Skype in an online environment and in reality would not be happy if it was mandatory to use. From an IT professional point of view I do not like programs that have to be installed on a computer to work that and then take over and reduce the functionality of the computer which Skye unfortunately does. In particular I do not like the dial from web function that alters the way web pages are supposed to look and cannot be turned off at least to my knowledge. That being said I think it's important to be able to talk to your students live sometimes as a class and have had great success with Free Conference Call http://www.freeconferencecall.com/ I have been on both sides of the phone with this application I have used it as an instructor and been a student in a class where it been used. The other neat thing is the conference can be recorded so it can be used as an archive for students unable to attend.
I use Skype a lot for personal and professional use. I mostly use it to communicate with other instructors. I do offer my student's my skype name so they can use it as an IM etc but we try to keep most communication within the LMS if possible. This allows us to track and record correspondence.
I have never used skype in a classroom. I think it coudl be really useful if students have it available to them as well. It would help the instructor connect with the student and instruct more hands on.
Hi Emily, Skype can be an excellent communication tool and it is a free application, so all learners can engage with you. I also like the idea of being able to see the person on the other end! It really helps develop presence in the online course environment. Tina
What is Breeze Connet? I like the idea of having Skype as a point of contact and real time communication, but it also makes the instructor tied to the computer at a specific time. I would like to explore any other options and never heard about Breeze Connet.
Hi Karen, Breeze Connect is an Adobe conferencing product that our faculty use to hold meetings or meet with learners one-on-one. It allows you to present ppt slides or show your desktop and do demonstrations. Many of our faculty use it to hold weekly lectures or question and answer sessions. You can also give the learner an opportunity to share their desktop, which you can then view. I have used it many times with learners who have issues navigating the courseroom environment or saving documents. I can either have them watch me or I can watch them and give them directions or troubleshoot problems. Tina
