What is videoconferencing?
Video conferencing uses telecommunications of audio and video to bring people at different sites together for a meeting. This can be as simple as a conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve several sites (multi-point) with more than one person in large rooms at different sites. Besides the audio and visual transmission of people, video conferencing can be used to share documents, computer-displayed information, and whiteboards. Improvements are being made in collaborative tools that allow people at different sites to electronically manipulate a common document or computer application.
What’s the difference between ISDN and IP videoconferencing?
IEEE standards guide the development of video conferencing. The H.320 standard describes how video conferencing operates over ISDN telephone circuits (The ISDN communications standard specifies how a single wire or optical fiber can carry voice, digital network services, and video. Typically, an ISDN circuit has more bandwidth than a regular analog telephone circuit.) H.323 describes how video conferencing operates over the Internet (TCP/IP or just IP). Multipoint Conferencing Units (MCUs) handle the traffic flow in multi-point video conferences and typically include gateway capabilities to bridge H.320 and H.323 sites together in a conference.
The quality of a video conference primarily depends on the characteristics of the circuit between the conferencing sites. In the H.323 world, a high-quality conference (excellent audio and video) needs about 768Kbs (KiloBits/Second) of bandwidth.
When a conversation includes a site off-campus, then bandwidth and type of connection between campus and the other site must be considered. If this path travels across the commodity Internet, then you are at the mercy of the activity on this public utility at the time of the conversation. Here are some general rules of thumb for bandwidth:
Bandwidth |
Use |
768 Kbs |
on campus or Internet 2 site (excellent quality) |
384 Kbs |
maximum good connection across the commodity Internet (IP) or through an ISDN connection |
256 Kbs |
audio OK; video barely full-motion (not smooth); use only if 384 Kbs not possible |
128 Kbs |
audio marginal; not full-motion video; use only if 256 Kbs not possible |
ISDN or IP? If you have a choice of having an ISDN versus an IP connection with the off-campus site, you have two issues to consider: quality and cost. In many cases, there will be additional charges (for you or the site you are connecting to) for ISDN. In general, there are no additional charges for IP (based on the current funding model for data connections on campus). You will get consistent quality with an ISDN connection, but over the commodity Internet you do not have guaranteed bandwidth (ie, quality). Do a test video conference well before the actual session to validate your choice.
"What Is Videoconferencing?." ITS Video Services. 08/09/2007. University of Iowa. 6 Sep 2007 <http://www.its.uiowa.edu/tns/videoservices/confwhat.htm>.Why use Videoconferencing?
Advantages of having videoconferencing equipment in your district:
Virtual Fieldtrips—Provide the opportunity for your students to connect with zoos, museums, and parks without the expense and inherent dangers of transporting them off campus. Give them access to collections and artifacts too far away to see in person. Have them speak with experts in their fields and notable people from all walks of life, one on one, in real time. Teachers gain access to hundreds of pre-prepared collaborative lessons led by educational professionals from major museums, zoos and other locations around the world.
Classroom to Classroom Collaborations—Whether it is across town, or across the world, videoconferencing allows your students to meet and interactive with their peers face to face. This encourages cooperative learning through shared lessons for all age groups, and across all economic and social divides.
Distance Learning—Use videoconferencing equipment, either within your district, or working collaboratively with other districts, to offer courses that historically have low enrollment and therefore may not be offered otherwise. Offer more AP courses to high school students, or the chance to earn high school credit to upper level middle school students. Conduct workshops during the evenings for your local community, offering short courses on any number of topics. Use vc equipment to communicate with homeschooled or hospitalized students.
Staff Development—Bring professional development to your teachers when they have the time, on-site. Eliminate the need for teacher pull-outs, substitutes, travel expenses, etc. Schedule professional development via videoconferencing equipment during mandatory faculty meetings and superintendents conference days.
Administrative—Eliminate the need for travel between offices within the district, or regional centers, or as required by the State Education Department. Many of these meetings can be attended using videoconferencing equipment, saving time and money on unnecessary travel expenses.
Many institutions offer videoconferencing in a variety of disciplines and across all grade levels. While some government run sites are free, fees are usually between $100 - $200. The following guide is a list of current Content Providers.
Western Suffolk BOCES Videoconferencing Provider Guide
Useful Links
Videoconference Provider On-line Guides, Search Engines and Databases:
Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
Two Way Interactive Connections in Education - TWICE
Global Opportunities
Award Winning Content Providers
NASA Digital Learning Network (Ames)
New Content Providers
If you would like to book a videoconference or to find out more about videoconferencing for your school, contact:
Karen Schmid
Western Suffolk BOCES
kschmid@wsboces.org
(631) 595-6836