Synchronous Delivery Systems in Distance Learning

Synchronous Delivery Systems in Distance Learning

Dr. Steve BroskoskeMisericordia University

EDU 568 Distance Educationand Hybrid Technologies

What Are SynchronousDelivery Systems ?

SynchronousDelivery Systems

• Synchronous: When teachers and students have to be participating in the same activity at the same time (but not necessarily in the same place).

• Examples: Live chat (chat rooms), Elluminate, and Skype.

Benefits of Synchronous Systems

• Interaction:– Students get to interact with the instructor.– Students get to interact with each other.– The teacher and student can have one-on-one

conversation.

• The teacher can assess student understanding of material.

• The teacher and student can experience the benefits of the in-person class away from the classroom.

Types of SynchronousDelivery Systems

• Fast– Video communication.– Audio communication.

• Slow– Text communication

(chat room, texting, instant messaging).

• Non-traditional– More students can participate.– Media allow more time for

responses, which leads to higher quality and more confidence in discussion input.

• Traditional– Extension of traditional

in-class activities.– Limits how many

students can participate effectively at once.

Use of Synchronous Systems

• Hold a discussion.• Deliver live instruction to the class.• Answer student questions.• Host a guest speaker.• Hold virtual office hours/be available to offer

assistance.• Encourage learning from group interaction.

Synchronous TechnologiesWe Will Examine

• Live chat– Simple technology that is excellent for holding a class

(or small group) conversation away from the classroom.

• Skype– Popular technology that provides audio and/or video

phone capabilities, including conference calling.• Elluminate– Advanced technology that provides many tools to allow a

class to be conducted with a group of learners at a distance.

Hands-on Activities

Live ChatSkype

Elluminate

Live Chat

• Simple: Simple technology that is easy to understand and use.

• Familiar: Many (most) students are familiar and comfortable with texting on cell phones.

• Use: Ideal for holding a class (or small group) conversation away from the classroom.

Brief History of Chat• Chat rooms: IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was an early

Internet forum. Chat rooms are still popular today.• Instant messaging: IM was started by AOL in the

1990’s. AOL eventually allowed the entire Internet community to tap into its service.

• Text messaging: SMS (short messaging service) allows cell phone users to send 160-character maximum text messages.

Using Chat

Type and hit enter.

Select names and hit

whisper.

Special Features of Chat

• Whisper: The ability to send a private message to one or more participants in a chat session.

• Only the participants you select will receive the message.

• Enhances social aspects found in traditional classrooms.

Special Features of Chat

• Save a chat session:1. Press control-A to select all of the text (OR

highlight desired text).2. Copy the text (control-C).3. Open a text editing program and paste (control-

V) in the text from the chat session.4. Save the text file.

Let’s Try a Chat

1. Let’s try the features:– Type a message submission to the chat.– Try the whisper feature.

2. Let’s hold a brief discussion.– Pretend we are at a distance.– Let’s hold a brief discussion about the following

topic: benefits & drawbacks and your impressions/perceptions of using chat in education.

What is Skype?

• Free PC to PC calls to people anywhere in the world.• Audio or video:

– Audio only.– Video and audio.

• Number of people on a call:– Two people.– Conference call (up to 25 participants).

• Instant message for free.• For a small per-minute charge make calls to phones and

cell phones anywhere in the world.

Requirements to Use Skype

• PC.• Internet connection (preferably a broadband

connection).• Headset (speakers and a microphone).– You can use your PC’s built-in microphone and

speakers, but the quality will be low. Plus, there is high likelihood of feedback.

Feedback

• Feedback means that the sound you hear from the other person(s) goes into your microphone, and gets rebroadcast.

• This can result in annoying echoes, or ear-shattering noise.

Ways to Prevent Feedback

• Use a headset: Sound comes to your ears, but does not get funneled back into the microphone.

• Click the mute button in Skype: Click the mute icon to mute your microphone so the other person(s) cannot hear you.

How to Make a Video Call

• To switch from an audio-only call to a video call:– Plug in a webcam.– Click the green Video call button.

Making a Conference Call

1. Open the conference call window.– On the Contacts tab click > Create Conference. OR– Click from the menu select Call > Start Conference Call.

2. Add people.– Click on a contact's name in Choose contacts box and then click

on the Add button below. The contact is now added to Conference participants window.

3. Click the Start button after you have selected all the participants.– A conference tab naming participants will appear. Participants

will be added to the conference call once they answer your call.

Making a Conference Call

• If you are already in a call and would like to add an additional participant to the call:– Right-click a contact in your contact list and

choose Invite to Conference. OR– From the conference tab, click Add Callers and

add more participants.

Remember that 25 people can take part in a conference call.

Let’s Set Up Skype

1. Navigate to www.skype.com.2. Download the Skype software.3. Choose a Skype name.4. Set up audio and video.5. Search for other classmates in the Skype

directory.

Let’s Try Skype

• Try an audio call.• Try a video call.• Try a conference call.

Elluminate

• Elluminate is an online tool that allows an entire class to be conducted remotely.

• Teaching is conducted using audio or video with audio.

• An entire class can be connected at the same time.

• Provides a host of tools for presenting, and a host of tools for functioning as a student.

Features of Elluminate

• Two-way VoIP.• Interactive whiteboard.• Application sharing.• File transfer.• Synchronized web tour.• Live webcam.

Requirements to Use Elluminate

• 20 MB free disk space.• Sound card with speakers & microphone (or

headset).• Minimum 28.8 kbps Internet connection.

Elluminate for 1 Teacher

• Elluminate vRoom:– A FREE, 3-person meeting room with full functionality,

except recording and integrated teleconferencing. • Elluminate vOffice:– Personal meeting room for 5 to 20 participants with full

recording capability. • Elluminate vClass:– A single virtual classroom for 25 to 200 students,

customizable moderator names, and full recording capability.

Elluminate for an Entire Institution(Learning Suite)

• Elluminate Plan!– Organize and script session content ahead of time.

• Elluminate Live!– Real-time online class interaction.

• Elluminate Publish!– Create standalone files or industry-standard video files

from Elluminate Live! recordings. • Elluminate Bridges– Seamlessly integrate with popular learning and content

management systems.

Let’s Set Up Elluminate

1. Navigate to www.elluminate.com.2. Sign up for “3 for free” V-Room.3. Open your e-mail and follow instructions to

set up the V-Room.

Let’s Try These Things in Elluminate

1. Load content.2. Ask a question (yes/no, multiple choice).3. Raise hands and answer a question.4. Chat.5. Web tour.

Assignments/Activities

1. Try a Skype call. Add information about your experiences to your blog.

2. Using Elluminate (or Skype if Elluminate will not work on your computer), teach a topic (approx. 10 minutes) to 1 or 2 other class members (or to others outside of our class if you choose). Add information about your experiences to your blog.

Assignments/Activities

3. Participate as a student in at least one other class member's presentation. On your blog and/or theirs, describe your experiences as a student in that distance learning presentation.

Next Week

• Achieving student success in distance learning.

• Creating a podcast.