Lessons Learned In Using Video Conferencing
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The document discusses lessons learned from two attempts at conducting technical training via video conferencing. The first attempt was mostly successful, though follow up blogging by remote participants was delayed. The second attempt had several technical issues that disrupted the training, including problems connecting sites, poor audio/video quality, and distracting troubleshooting. Going forward, the organization plans to have facilitators for sites with many participants, use screen display instead of analog, and encourage more testing of connections in advance.
Lessons Learned In Using Video Conferencing
- 1. Lessons learned in using video conferencing in technical training ACE NETC 2009 Anne Adrian, Danny Cain, Shirley Whitten Alabama Cooperative Extension System
- 2. Background Need to conduct more training at a distance. When training is in shorter increments, participants can retain information better. than when the training is given in full all day sessions. Some off-campus staff are very comfortable using distance technologies.
- 3. Background Need to conduct Sharepoint training though Sharepoint is not fully implemented. Training is more than technical training; it is changing the way we do business collaboration opportunities educators are responsible for providing content for web).
- 4. Background—1 st attempt "Blogging with SharePoint" with 20 members of a program team in a face-to-face training while video conferencing with 4 individual (3 locations).
- 5. Background—1 st attempt In all 3 remote locations, the participants connected computers and were ready for the training (there was a small glitch which we were able to troubleshoot). At remote locations: Polycom video conference, participants plug notebook into network for internet access and follow along as if they were in face to face class.
- 6. What was good about the 1 st attempt? Instructor was comfortable with training face-to-face “students” and was able to detect when students did not understand. Instructor easily explained and answered these questions to all. Remote participants appreciated not having to drive 3 hour one way for training and were willing to “live with” a few glitches.
- 7. What was good about the 1 st attempt? “ Why would we travel, when I can get the same information while staying in my office?” Quote from one of the remote participants.
- 8. What was good about the 1 st attempt? “ The training today on share point, vpn, and eXtension was great today! Viewing it from the remote site was perfect and so much less expensive and time consuming; we should do a lot more of our training this way.” Quote from one of the remote participants.
- 9. Background—2 nd attempt Instructors on Auburn campus Remote locations Madison County: 8 Jackson County: 1 TVA Research Extension Center: 1 Video conference specialist was on vacation
- 10. Background—2 nd attempt Madison County: 4 computers would not connect (spent time trouble shooting—most got connected). TVA: no audio (never corrected). Jackson no audio; computer would not connect (spent time trouble shooting- got connected). Use the wrong display method—screen was incredibly blurry.
- 11. Background—2 nd attempt Most of the participants were not ready (did not have computers checked and connected prior to session). Without students in room, was difficult for the instructors to understand all of the problems participants were having.
- 12. What was disappointing about the 1 st attempt? Instructor video of the display looked small so she kept moving the display. This was not necessary. The remote students did not actually blog a few months afterward but did sometime later.
- 13. What was good about the 2nd attempt? Able to have a two-hour session without travel expense – good use of time and financial resources. Provided adequate information for participants to begin blogging and to ask for more assistance later as needed. Having a facilitator was helpful for those having connection /technical difficulties.
- 14. What went wrong with 2 nd attempt? Wrong on campus location (miscommunications). Sound for remote locations was not working through conference system (server issue). Wrong display was being used so the far sites had extremely blurry display (lack of understanding in setup). Site with 8 people took on their own personality.
- 15. What was disappointing about the 2nd attempt? Connection and other technical problems by some in other locations caused some lag time for everyone. Because of time spent trying to get all participants connected, we lost training time. Because of the troubleshooting the multiple conversations made if difficult to hear through video system.
- 16. What are we doing differently now? Will not hold a technical training with more than 3 people in a location without a facilitator. Display the screen instead of using analog display.
- 17. What are we doing differently now? When appropriate, use web conference software that can be displayed on video conferencing and web conferencing. Hired a student to assist with the video conferencing and web conferencing technologies.
- 18. What are we doing differently now? Take more efforts to encourage participants to test video conference and network connections. Attempt to be prepared to help those participants who we know are not very technically adept.
- 19. What have we done to make up for “lost” training? One on one training via phone. Some individuals have participated in other training sessions.
- 20. What have we done to make up for “lost” training? Will train the Madison County office in the future (most likely face to face). Continue to use video conferencing for technical training via video conferencing. May test a technical training via web conferencing.