VIDEOCONFERENCIN

G
AN ALTERNATIVE TO FACE-TO-FACE
MEETING
 "Facing the Challenge of a New Age"
“This new world of geographical togetherness has been
brought about, to a great extent, by man's scientific
and technological genius. Man has been able to dwarf
distance, place time in chains and carve highways
through the stratosphere. Through our scientific
genius, we have made the world a neighborhood…”
Our Goals
 Videoconferencing concepts, including situations
where videoconferencing may be used
 Identify the videoconferencing equipment
 Locate and utilize AGNR specific videoconferencing
information on the web
 Whom to contact for scheduling a videoconference
 How to prepare for a videoconference
Videoconferencing – What Is It?

“Video conferencing
in its most basic form
is the transmission of
image (video) and
speech (audio) back
and forth between two
or more physically
separate locations.”
Videoconferencing Components
Cameras (to
capture and Video
send video displays (to
display video
from your received
local from remote
endpoint endpoints)

Speakers (to Microphone

play audio s (to capture
received and send
from audio from
remote your local
endpoints) endpoint)
In Addition, Two Additional
Requirements:
 Codec - "compressor/de-compressor“ –
makes the audio/video data "small enough" to be
practical for sending over expensive network
connections. A codec takes analog signals,
compresses and digitizes them, and transmits the
signals over digital phone lines.
 The Supporting System and the Network
Connection
Point-to-point Conferences
 Point-to-point – A
videoconference that
connects two
locations.
 Each site sees and
hears the other sites at
all times
Multipoint Conferences
 Point-to-multipoint – A
videoconference that
connects to more than
two sites through the
use of a multi-point
control unit, or MCU.
 Participants at all sites
can hear one another at
all times and see the
site that is currently
speaking.
But It’s Much More Than Video:
 Computer presentations
 Other media
 CDs, DVDs,
 ELMO visual presenter (hardcopies, photos)
Various Uses:
 Presentations
 Virtual meetings
 Videoconference-based learning
 JIT (just in time) events
 Recruitment/search committees
 General meetings
Additional Uses:
 Project coordination
 Informal work sessions
 Alumni relations
 Question and answer sessions
Videoconferencing Is Passé
Terminology
 Traditional videoconferencing was about audio-
video communications to facilitate meetings
without the burden of travel.
 Visual collaboration is much more; it is the
combination of audio and video and data in both
real-time and store-and-forward applications.
 It’s not just about meetings anymore.
Visual Collaboration
Meetings Meetings, presentations, training

Work alone Teaming, local and remote

On-site training Distance learning, online training

Save Money Be more productive

Reliable connections Managed network services

Videoconferencing Visual collaboration

Benefits of Videoconferencing
 Can improve work quality
 Increase productivity
 Reduce costs
 Improves communication
 Groups can meet more frequently
 Critical meetings can be convened in less time
 More faculty and staff can be involved
Benefits of Videoconference-based
Learning
 Closely resembles traditional classroom-based education;
permits learners to be active participants in the process
 Faculty and staff needs can be met more quickly through
just-in-time training
 More faculty and staff can be trained faster without
increasing training resources
 Guest lecturers can be easily integrated into the course
 Enables any site to be the provider of the learning
activities.
 Videoconferencing is cost-effective, when you consider
the traveling costs for traditional training.
Limitations of Videoconferencing
 The initial cost of the equipment and leasing the lines to
transmit conferences may be prohibitive.
 Unless a strong effort is made by the instructor, students not
located with the instructor may remain uninvolved in the
course.
 If visuals, like handwritten or copied materials, are not
properly prepared, students may have a difficult time reading
them.
 If the “pipe” that carries the transmission among sites is not
large enough, the students may observe “ghost images” when
rapid movement occurs in “real time”.
 If the system is not properly configured, class members may
observe an audio “echo” effect. This distracts the learning
environment.
Tricks Of The Trade
 At the beginning of a
videoconference make sure that
participants introduce
themselves. It is often helpful to
have a sign in the background
that gives your location.
 Look directly at the camera as
often as possible when
speaking.
 Wear neutral, solid colors.
Avoid checks and stripes. Avoid
white and shades of red. Red is
not codec-friendly.
Tricks Of The Trade
 Be natural, but try to minimize motion.
 Try to arrange a simple, uncluttered, static
background in neutral or darker solid colors. Do not
sit in front of windows. Tilt pictures, framed degrees,
awards or any other glass-covered wall hanging
downward to eliminate reflection and glare.
 Try to have direct light on the face of the person
speaking. Too much light from behind causes
silhouetting, too much from above causes shadows
under the eyes.
Tricks Of The Trade
 Avoid placing videoconferencing equipment in
rooms prone to echo effects or exposed to outside
noise. Eliminate in-room sources of extraneous noise.
On multipoint video conferences mute your location
when not speaking.
 Be aware of the transmission delay ... pause for
others to comment.
 When asking questions in a group conference, direct
the question to a specific individual if possible.
Prepare for the Worst Case Scenario
 Find out who handles difficult technical problems
and how to contact him/her.
 Designate a remote facilitator.
 Develop a contingency plan for the remote site and
share it with the remote facilitator. You might, for
example, have a discussion topic or activity that
supports the videoconference outcomes.
Prepare for the Worst Case Scenario
 Share telephone numbers with your
remote facilitator and
troubleshooters.
 Make sure you (and your
troubleshooters) are familiar with
the equipment.
 Establish your connection 15-30
minutes prior to the meeting time.
Most technical problems are
observable when establishing a
connection.
 If you have never connected with
your remote site plan a "dry run" a
week or so ahead of time.
Video Conferencing Etiquette
 Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3,…
 Connect and test PRIOR to the scheduled time
 Utilize the picture-in-picture to get a sense of what the
remote sites are seeing
 Leaving well enough alone…
 If the videoconference is satisfactory make as few
adjustments as possible
 Unnecessary "twiddling" of audio or video can have
very distracting results.
Video Conferencing Etiquette
 Are you still with me?
 Videoconferencing is much more like as in person
exchange than a telephone call — body language and
facial expression count!
 Avoid "multi-tasking" with other work, looking at
other applications on the computer screen, talking to
other local participants.
Video Conferencing Etiquette
 Talking out of turn…
 Stray noises and side conversations within a video
conference distract from the primary conversation.
 Side conversations at remote sites seem to spring up
more readily than they would if everyone were in the
same actual room, which causes problems to voice-
activated switching.