Live Classrooms and Webinars
by Sylvia Leal
Historical Background
Online live classrooms, webinars, and synchronous learning are synonymous for a type of learning seminars that connect people in a virtual classroom via the internet. An essential attribute of the live online classroom is the ability to give, receive and discuss information simultaneously with other “classmates” anywhere around the world. Wikipedia also refers to this type of learning as a virtual learning environment (VLE) and defines it as, "a system that creates an environment designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially a system using computer hardware and software, especially involving distance learning."
The configuration of the classroom has for the most part been consistent for the last one hundred years. Pictures throughout the century have depicted classrooms with teachers standing in front of the classroom and students sitting in rows. Similarly, the primary “tool” for learning and acquiring the required curriculum has been the textbook. With the exception of the architecture, hair styles, and clothing depicted in photographs little has changed in the way classrooms are configured.
The corporate world also followed this approach for learning until the use of technology began to change the work environment (Hoffman, 2007). Corporations have embraced the use of technology as a primary teaching tool as they seek to find efficient and effective ways to train workers. The learning environment is slowly changing and in many ways it is being defined by corporate America.
Online classrooms are not new. Historically, the idea of using technology to expand the physical classroom was introduced in 1953 when the University of Houston was the first in the nation to broadcast a college credit class utilizing a local television station. Since then there have been various entry levels of technology that have been introduced to expand the classroom learning environment. Despite the explosive expansion of technology to benefit corporate America, schools lagged in utilizing technology to expand the learning environments in the Pre K -12 grade system. For the most part, schools have been slow to provide teachers with the technology and the training needed to expand student learning environments.
Relevance to Education
What is the purpose of education? According to various reform models reviewed at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory website, an essential purpose of education is to provide students with the skills necessary to improve academic achievement needed to access post-secondary education, gain quality employment, to be meaningful contributors to society, and to help students lead a quality of life (NWREL, 2007).
The National Association of High School Principals’ Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution advocates that high schools rethink and restructure to fully prepare students to succeed in the 21st century (NASSP, 2007). Commonalities among these school reform models advocate for new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning (NASSP, 2007).
With limited resources, schools often struggle to meet the demands of a changing global society. However, a critical issue in addressing school improvement may lie in the approach schools take in solving the problems. Albert Einstein once said, “the significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”. If schools are to address the critical issues in education today, they should step out of the realm of conformity to rethink the concept of “classroom” teaching.
Several school reform models have long supported the notion that technology is unavoidable and necessary to expand learning opportunities for all students in the 21st century. But how do we use the vast options in technology to restructure classroom learning? One approach may be to expand the classroom environment beyond the four walls of a physical room.
Recently the Texas Education Agency sponsored a grant that is a model of interactive learning and webinars. It was called the STAR grant and provides professional development for Schools, Teachers, Administrators, and Regions in the area of technology. To ensure students are successful in the 21st century, it is imperative that leadership be provided that models integration strategies for each subject and grade level. For example, one south Texas district has applied to the STAR grant using the idea of a mobile computer lab that houses four computers and can be rolled across campus for various teachers or teams to access live webinars (C. Saenz, district grant coordinator personal communication, June 11, 2007). This cart will allow staff to access online webinars or attend virtual classrooms while they are on their own campus.
Rationale for Webinars and Live Online Classrooms
· Flexible Learning Time. Students are often confined to small blocks of classroom time (Goldberg, 2006). Academic classes are often segmented into 40 minute segments that limit learning opportunities for many students. According to Goldberg, schools should reinvent themselves around the learning not time. He states that schools are often “prisoners of time”. Technology can be utilized to allow the use of time in more effective ways. Technologies such as online classrooms and webinars can provide flexible learning environments and flexible time to learn more complex curriculum. For example, students can “log on” to participate in live on-line classrooms anywhere to participate in extended learning opportunities throughout the day. Students sometimes need concepts presented in various ways and sometimes by a different person to fully understand. Webinars can be cataloged to allow students to sign up for additional seminars and spend more time on more complex learning. This allows students to spend more time on learning throughout the day.
· Flexible grouping. Online classroom can provide ways to group students around the learning needs instead of age. This does not advocate tracking, which tracks students into static groups, but rather learning needs of students that may change from concept to concept. For example, 10-13 year old students ready for solving algebraic equations could be grouped to learn this concept.
· Flexible use of space. It is no surprise that school buildings are limited to the physical number of classrooms available to teach and that these classrooms can only hold a specific number of students at a time. This poses logistical nightmares for scheduling students for required courses within limited classroom space. This type of technology could easily release classroom space by grouping students in cyberspace to take a course rather than physical space (Young, 2006).
· Flexible teaching staff. Another critical issue today is the number of highly qualified teachers available to teach. Live online classrooms and webinars could offer so many students, the opportunity to attend class with highly qualified teachers in other parts of the region, state, or country. Outsourcing high quality instructors for more students could also assist schools with meeting staffing demands, specifically in economically deprived areas and rural areas, where schools struggle to find the number of certified teachers to teach math and science.
· Improve productivity. Burck Smith, CEO of Smarthinking, Incorporated, shares that historically over time, technology has allowed man to more for less and that education should not be any different (Smith, 2006). By design, live online classrooms would increase productivity because every classroom is open to the public. It opens the classroom door for anyone to “see” what is taking place. Productivity increase through the very nature of knowing other people are watching what takes place in the classroom. The preparation needed to effectively utilize this approach to actively engage students may also catapult productivity. Teachers would have to be more succinct, targeted, and selective in engaging students in teaching what matters most.
Possible Limitations
Several researchers such as John Dewey, Theadore Sizer, Roberto Zamora, and James Connell share that the importance of social context is essential in effective learning environments. While some aspects of communication may be facilitated through technology, the need for face-to-face social interaction is also essential. Communication is much more complex than voice and text. The human element to communicate encompasses nuances of expressions, spirit, touch, and posture.
Furthermore, this approach to classroom instruction may not meet the needs of all students. Some students may need one-on-one instructional approach. Some student may be resistant to learning this way. Some students flourish in social interactive settings but may falter, lag, or regress through this type of approach to learning.
Conclusion
Overall the benefits of online classrooms and webinars offer feasible solutions to critical educational issues. In a time when the need to ensure quality instruction for all students is critically at hand, educators should rethink, redesign, and redefine the concept of the classroom through technology.
Glossary of Terms
Face-to-face classroom- is a physical classroom space where all members of the class are present in person.
Online Classrooms – virtual space created through software designed to bring a group of people together for a class, meeting, or training.
Online Class or Course – curriculum, lessons, or course work provided to students via the internet.
Curriculum may or may not be interactive between teacher and student and may or may not be conducted in “real time”.
Real Time Interaction – immediate feedback and interaction taking place as it occurs between two or more people that are simultaneously connected via internet.
Virtual Learning Environment- is an internet space created through software to conduct classes or courses. See Wikipedia: virtual learning environment
Virtual- a term used to reference internet-based.
Webniars - is a combination of the words web and seminar. Most webinars are a one-way presentation of a topic although the they can be programmed to be interactive between the presenter and audience. See Wikipedia: web conferencing
Start-up Costs
Live online classrooms and webinars can be implemented utilizing various options. The chart below provides three among several options that could be considered by schools: 1) schools provide space, the software, and computers for the classes to take place; 2) schools provide students with the computers and software, and allow students to take class from home or other internet base; or 3) schools allow students to use their own computers to take class from home. Below is a chart demonstrating these options.
Various Options for Implementing Online Classrooms
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What you should consider?
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Who provides it?
|
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Option 1
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Option 2
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Option 3
|
|
Computer
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School
|
School
|
Student
|
|
Software
|
School
|
School
|
School
|
|
Classroom Space
|
School
|
Student
|
Student
|
|
Internet Service
|
School
|
Student
|
Student
|
|
Teacher
|
School
|
School
|
School
|
Although the concept of online classrooms has been around for many years, early versions were two-way communication through videoconference equipment and provided limited options for interaction. The online classrooms featured today provide various two-way interactions between the teacher and the student. Today, students and teachers can interact in a virtual classroom utilizing videoconference, power point, email chat, audio, simultaneously. A server is the primary piece of equipment needed to provide highly interactive online classrooms. These servers can be purchased or leased depending on the need of the school. Below is a chart describing basic configurations for online classrooms.
System Requirements for Online Classrooms
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Configuration
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School Hosted
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Subscription
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Server
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· One-time cost determined by number of users
· Server owned and operated by school district
· Large district (40,000 users) approximate $30,000
· Small district (500 users) approximate $8,000
Leading Vendors:
- · Dell
- · Hewlett Packard
- · Gateway
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· Cost is a yearly licensing fee determined by number of users
· Server owned and operated by vendor
· Large district (40,000 users) approximate $15,000
· Small district (500 users) approximate $2,000
Leading Vendors:
- · Dell
- · Hewlett Packard
- · Gateway
|
|
Software
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Yearly licensing fee determined by number of users in the school district
Leading Vendors:
- · Blackboard (fees)
- · WEbCT (fees)
- · Wimba (fees)
- · Moodle (free open source)
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Cost of software included in subscription
|
|
Computer
|
Capabilities to include:
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· Same specifications
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A simpler variation of the online classroom is a webinar. This option has gain popularity among the pk-12 school level. Several virtual schools are currently accredited to provide classes in all subject areas including English, math, science, and social studies. These classes are offered in all grade levels pre-k to 12th grade with most set up in a one-way communication format. Primary equipment for webinars includes a computer and software. The chart below provides basic set up information.
System Requirements for Webinar
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Computer
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Capabilities to include:
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same specifications
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|
Software
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· Yearly licensing fee determined by number of users in the school district
Sample Vendors:
· Camtasia
- WEbEx
- Infinite Confernecing
- GoToMeeting
Cost: Approximately $300 for single user
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· Cost of software included in subscription
Sample Vendors:
Cost: determined by length of presentation, and participants. Example: $ 0.27/ minute for 1 hour for 30 participants is approximately $486 for one session.
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Other issues that should be explored before considering various live online classrooms or webinar options is the availability of computers and internet service among the student population. A quick way to do this is to conduct school wide surveys. Below are findings from a survey conducted by Region One Education Service Center GEAR UP partnership grant with 7,312 students in November of 2006. These eighth grade students at 30 high poverty middle schools in south Texas shared the availability of computers and internet outside the school setting. This survey was essential in considering the feasibility of an after school web-based tutoring program. It is interesting to find that even in a high poverty area (86% economically disadvantaged), the availability of computers and internet is more accessible than presumed. Although only 2,605 students or 35% indicated they had a computer with internet at home, 5,384 students or 73% indicated they were able to get to a computer with internet capabilities after school.
Key Resources
This topic has extremely diversified into various speciality sites. Several companies and consultant agencies have emerged as leaders in this area. The following offers a list of web-based directories that organize the leadning resources in this area.
Webcasting.ws is a one-stop website for information on webinars and webcasting. This site organizes several companies into various categories to allow the consumer to “browse” through various company websites. The price for webinar service varies by number of sessions and number of participants that will participate in the webinar. Several sites offer free downloads on a trial basis. http://meanwhile.com/?domain=webcasting.ws&
Online K-12 Courses is a directory of several schools that offer ready online courses for all subject areas. Several of these schools advertise themselves as accredited and others publicize endorsements from Home School organizations. http://lone-eagles.com/courses.htm
Learning Site Online is a directory of various online learning opportunities organized by type of school or degree that is sought. http://www.e-learningsite.com/elearning/character/synchr.htm
Open Directory Project is a large, comprehensive directory of e-learning companies, research, and training sites that is maintained by a global community of volunteer editors.
http://www.dmoz.org/Reference/Education/Distance_Learning/Online_Teaching_and_Learning/E-learning_Companies/
Sample Lesson Plans
Sample lessons utilizing webinars offer teachers opportunities to record various lessons to be viewed at the students’ discretion. The following sample lessons provide three formats.
Sample Lesson 1: Webinar on SAT Math Tutorial (High school)
This webinar offers a tutorial explaining how to solve common SAT math problems narrated and demonstrated by a classroom teacher. It also provides a great opportunity to model processes and rationale for steps taken in solving each problem reviewed. This format allows students to view it as often as needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tOHx9dZ7o&mode=related&search=
Sample Lesson 2: Webinar in Transfer Term (Pre Algebra 7th Grade)
This webinar provides an explanation of a pre algebra transfer term in PowerPoint format. It is also narrated and offers clear examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIgyLTHFiWY
Sample Lesson 3: Webinar on the Nervous System (Biology)
This webinar is a School House Rock video on the nervous system. The concept of the nervous system is provided through song and animation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4KLfDh3DX0
Tutorial
How to create a training webinar. Creating webinars requires users to consider the following information:
Content. Content for the seminar should be prepared and organized in an easy to follow format utilizing clear concise information on the chosen topic before the training seminar is conducted.
Format. Consider the best format for sharing the information. Is it necessary for participants to interact? Several options are available including Power Point, video, audio, and screen capture.
Audience. The age of the audience and their familiarity with technology also is a deciding factor for creating the webinar. If the end user is not very familiar with technology, then one-way interaction may be the best option.
Length. Depending on the audience, webinars should be short and concise. One-way communication webinars should probably not exceed 3-5 minutes. For more extensive presentations, consider organizing and breaking the information into smaller segments for maximum effectiveness. However, two-way interaction presentation can be effective for longer segments lasting from 1-2 hours.
Specific instructions for creating a webinar is largely depended on the software that is used. To see an example tutorial of how this is done, follow the link to listen to a short webinar presentation on creating video screen capture tutorials and training. This tutorial is produced by Camtasia Studios, a for profit company, but allows “inquisitive” users to download software for a 30 day free trail period. http://video.techsmith.com/camtasia/latest/edu/howto/enu/howto_cs4.html
Sources
Einstein, Albert (1879 - 1955). Retrieved July 24, 2007 from http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/26032.html
Firth, Becky (2007). Teachers teaching teachers. Threshold. Spring 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from www.cionline.org/threshold
Goldberg, Milton. (2006). Unlocking time. New thinking about high school reform. Threshold. Spring 2006. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from www.cionline.org/threshold
Hancock, N. (2007, March 27). TEA grant release letter. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Texas Education Agency Web site: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/taa/opge032707.doc
Hoffman, Jennifer. (2007). How to design for the live on-line classroom: Creating Great interactive and collaborative training using web conferencing. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from http://www.brandon-hall.com/publications/lol/lol.pdf
NASSP (2007). What the Research Shows: Breaking Ranks in Action. Breaking Ranks: An American Institution. The National Association of Secondary Principals, retrieved July 23, 2007 http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=706&DID=47130
NWREL (2007). The catalog of school reform models. Northwestern Regional Education Laboratory. Retrieved, July 23, 2007, http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/catalog/guide/whatis.shtml
Smith, Burck. (2006). Outside help: Improving productivity in schools. New thinking about high school reform. Threshold. Spring 2006. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from www.cionline.org/threshold
Comments (6)
Anonymous said
at 5:48 am on Jul 15, 2007
Sylvia, I figured out how to make my links work. Do you want me to fix yours?
Anonymous said
at 7:39 pm on Jul 26, 2007
As teachers we have to get to know our students every year to find out what is the best way that the students learn. We have some hands-on learners, visual, and even kinesthetic learners. We stop to think how much time our students spend watching TV. Why not turn that into our benefit and use live classroom interaction as a learning tool. I also believe that as teachers we need to stop and rethink, redesign, and redefine our methods of teaching.
Anonymous said
at 1:40 pm on Jul 31, 2007
Just a couple of suggestions: You may want to look over your spacing and make it flow better. Also, under you key terms, it would be good to include a brief description of each term.
Anonymous said
at 4:02 pm on Aug 5, 2007
Hi, you might want to mention that Live Classrooms and Webinars require large amounts of bandwidth. It could be cost prohibitive for some schools to use.
Anonymous said
at 8:14 pm on Aug 5, 2007
Thanks Luis--that's a good idea. I'll have to work it into the text. Do you have any speccfications? I'm not very savy on this topic.
Anonymous said
at 7:15 pm on Aug 9, 2007
For the tutorial, you may look at some of the free Video Chats that are available like Skype. I would love to see a tutorial on how to get something like that going. All it cost is the price of the webcam because skype is free. I think Microsoft also has whiteboard? or something that can be used.
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