Elluminate is a very powerful tool to accomplish synchronous teaching.
A link can be created by the moderator within the class website so that getting access to the session is straightforward.
There is a whiteboard feature where the moderator can upload files such as powerpoint presentations.
It is easy to polls while in Elluminate (A show of hands everyone ?!)
Students can ask questions both by typing/chatting or by speaking through microphone.
There is also a webcam function – but I have not yet used it in a live session.
It is also possible to tape the session so that those who were unable to “attend” can follow along in the future.
There is also a group function. Students can be divided into several groups and have separate, private, discussions. I am not sure how difficult it is to accomplish this by the moderator while in a session. Curious to find out.
Using Elluminate seems pretty intuitive, especially from the student's standpoint.
- Elluminate can be used for lecture, study sessions, and office hours.
Whereas the basic Elluminate tool is free to use, the full license is very expensive and usually only available to to instructors at bigger institutions. (vRoom, the free versions, does not have recording capability and is limited to only 4 participants).
Another option would be to use Skype – but for now that synchronous tool can only be used between two computers.
You can actually record your skype sessions (both video and audio). You do this using ecamm. You can try it for free, to get the full service added to your skype costs $20. (This one is for Mac only, but there might be other services for PC). The result is a quicktime file which our tech office suggests you store/host outside of, in my case moodle, to save space. I think this would be a great feature for some activities I do in class where I ask grad students to contact physiologists they admire and ask them some questions about their career. These interviews can then be used to share in the class, and in future courses.
There is a feature on skype where you can share your screen view (the files that are open on your screen) with the person you are skyping with. So you can draw things and work on a document together. You cannot share both your video feed (your smiling face) and your desktop (documents) at the same time, but I don't think that is such a big deal - there is still the audio.
This might be a cheaper option than Elluminate for those at smaller colleges.
Skype is inexpensive.
Skype is easy to install and use, the video and sound are usually clear, though the webcam feature can slow down the conversation considerably if bandwidth is an issue.
Weblinks and documents can be send via the chat box.
With both Elluminate and Skype there are going to be challenges like set up, getting used to the interface, and scheduling times when students will all be available.
