Partners in Distance Learning: Videoconferencing Program Collaborations

Introduction

Thanks to advances in technology, more and more museums today are reaching out to distance audiences in schools, nursing homes, etc through collaborative programs like videoconferencing and broadcasts.  Videoconferencing is when there is two-way direct communication between the distance audiences and the museums, whereas during broadcasts information is only being transmitted in one direction from the museum.  Through such collaborations, students at distant schools can essentially go on “virtual field trips” to museums all over the world, speaking to educators and experts from the comfort and convenience of their own classrooms.  They can even perhaps interact with materials from the museum, if the institution sends out accompanying hands-on materials and tool-kits to schools ahead of their scheduled conferences. 

There are pros and cons to videoconferencing.  Aside from the fact that a videoconference could never fully replace the experience of actually visiting a museum, the main barrier to videoconferencing is cost.  There are several potential costs associated with videoconferencing: the cost of a videoconferencing unit/equipment (which can be up to $10,000 according to McDermon), the cost of connecting (via internet, satellite, etc), the cost of mailing back any hands-on materials sent by the museum, and of course the cost of the program itself, if the museum charges one (which usually is around $100 at least).  However, if a school is far enough away from a given museum—or from any museums—then videoconferencing can be cheaper than actual field trips, and save much time and money in the meantime.  In Rural Hall Elementary School in North Carolina, for instance, it would cost $1800 to physically take one grade level of students to the state museums in Raleigh, versus $125 per class for a videoconference (McDermon 29).  Additionally, given the constraints of curriculums and testing today, many schools do not have time for students to leave school for the day on a field trip in any case, whereas it is much easier to make time for a videoconference during one class period.

A Few Videoconferencing Basics…

There are many different technological options to consider when videoconferencing, from which museums and schools can choose according to their situations.  Interactive Videoconferencing and Collaborative Distance Learning for K-12 Students and Teachers: Theory and Practice by Panagiotes S. Anastasiades describes the different technological specifications in more detail, but here are a few basic variations:

• Communications Standards:
• H.320 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)—has guaranteed speed good for videoconferences in which participants move around quickly, but high cost of call charges
• H.323 IP (Internet Protocol)—no additional charges for the connection, but cannot provide steady connection speeds
• Videoconferencing System:
• Software-based Videoconferences (Skype, Net meeting, etc)
• Set Top Videoconferences (VCs without the use of a computer)
• Web-Based Collaborative Environments (for interactive presentation of data and sharing of applications (e.g. Power Point presentations) rather than the interaction through image)

Things for Museums to Consider

Aside from the technical details, there are other important factors for successful videoconferencing program collaborations that museums should take into consideration:

·       Curriculum Standards: To be most useful and appealing to teachers attempting to integrate museums into the classroom, all videoconferencing programs should be designed to fit a number of national standards in a given subject area, and educators should outline which standards are met in the program description.

·       Hands-on Materials and Pre-/Post-Lessons:  To enrich the interactive museum experience, museums may want to send schools a kit of hands-on, touchable materials from their teaching collections that students can work with during the videoconference, or during a post-lesson, etc.  Some museums, like the National Air and Space Museum, send out such kits but charge a deposit for them in order to make sure they get returned.  Creating pre-lessons and post-lessons to accompany the videoconference presentation can also add to the educational experience, and such lesson plans should also be sent to participating schools in advance.

·       Cost: If possible, free programs of course are more accessible to schools, though if a museum cannot afford this then it should still attempt to keep costs for schools to a reasonable minimum.

·       Pre-Test: Generally museums require that teachers perform a pretest with the educator ahead of the scheduled videoconference to ensure technical ability and give the teacher advice for facilitating the lesson.

·       Promotion: Museums can promote their videoconferencing programs through educational conferences and listserves, their own website, or other websites like the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), a site that promotes and facilitates different videoconferencing programs and collaborations.

Resources and Links for More Information:

Anastasiades, Panagiotes S. Interactive Videoconferencing and Collaborative Distance Learning for K-12 Students and Teachers: Theory and Practice. New York: Nova Sciences Publishers, 2009.

Cassady, Jerrell C. and Laurie J. Mullen. “Reconceptualizing electronic field trips: a Deweyian perspective.” Learning, Media and Technology (Vol. 31, No. 2, June 2006): 149-161.

List of Content Providers on CILC.Org

McDermon, Linda. “Distance learning: it's elementary!” Learning & Leading with Technology (Dec/Jan 2005-06): 28-30 

NASA Distance Learning Network Website

National Air and Space Museum Videoconferencing Program