Tools for Schools: Live Online Conferencing
As an Adobe Education Leader, I am lucky enough to have access to a full version of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, a full-featured video conferencing and synchronous collaboration tool. (If anyone ever wants to see how it works, please let me know and we can set up a time for a meeting demo!)
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is not free, and I have yet to find a no-cost option for schools that comes close to its capabilities. However, here are a few free options that provide more than just video-calling (like Skype and ooVoo). The sites listed below will allow you to experiment with a more full-featured toolset and, perhaps, provide enough justification in your school or district for the purchase of a full-fledged system!
These are just brief overviews of the capabilities of each of these systems. Each system often adds new features, so take the time to give each of them a try and re-visit them regularly.
Adobe ConnectNow
http://www.adobe.com/acom/connectnow/
...includes many of the features of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, such as video and VOIP for all, screen sharing, whiteboards, etc., but only allows three users to participate in the conference; I would strongly suggest this one for small synchronous sessions
Vyew
http://vyew.com
...this tool is very full-featured, and the free version allows only 5 users and the site is ad-supported; there is an easy-screenshot feature, lots of plug-ins such as a YouTube Player, a graphing calculator, desktop sharing, and much more
DimDim
http://dimdim.com/
...the no-cost version of this tool only allows for the presenter's video feed, and four users with voice, but does allow 20 users in the room, and includes a whiteboard, a chat area, and some screensharing
Yugma
http://www.yugma.com
...the free version of Yugma requires registration by each of the (up to 20) attendees you host for a meeting. There is a download of Java required as well as a small client. The free version basically allows screen-sharing and chat. There is a Skype version of the client that utilizes the audio and chat within Skype as well.
WizIQ
http://www.wiziq.com
...WizIQ is intended to allow users to teach within their system. It allows uploads of presentations, audio for all participants, sharing of a whiteboard, and video for the instructor
Addition (4/30/09)
Zorap
http://zorap.com/
...synchronous audio and the ability to share photos, files, and videos makes this tool very cool; you need to install a local client to use it, but you do not have to have an account to join a room
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Photo located in a Creative Commons search in Flickr.
http://flickr.com/photos/mrkimmi/2922784425/
"Video Conferencing" by mrkimmi
Labels: Kathy Schrock, online conferencing, videoconferencing
posted by Kathy Schrock at 1:37 PM
10 Comments:
Kathy,
Your description of DimDim explains clearly why we were experiencing what happened earlier today.
This is a great list that I will share with many educators.
Thanks so much for posting it.
i am agree with you Lisa there are very pin points explained. keep it up
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Kathy-
You are correct, Dimdim Free is for up to 20 attendees and allows the host to share video and up to 4 attendees to have audio at a time. It's pretty easy to swap around who has the microphone by clicking on the person's name in the participants panel. We also offer recording of sessions as part of the free accounts.
My primary reason for commenting is to follow-up on Lisa's comment. If you encountered problems with Dimdim, please let me know, kevin@dimdim.com.
Thanks.
-k
Kevin Micalizzi, Community Manager
Dimdim Web Conferencing / http://www.dimdim.com
e: kevin@dimdim.com / twitter: @dimdim
Facebook: http://dimdim.com/facebook
Elluminate (http://www.elluminate.com/) is another, but only allows for 3 to conference, screen share, white board, etc.
Great list!
~C
I've had great success with Citrix Go-To-Meeting and Go-to-Webinar. We checked out quite a few and found it to be the lowest cost (it's not free) while offering the most for what we were looking for. Thanks for the great post!
Kathy,
This was a great post - thanks for sharing! I have been particularly interested in web conferencing venues and have created a wiki on these types of tools at http://caisefiles.wikispaces.com. Also, www.learncentral.org will be offering a free Elluminate vroom with full features and unlimited users.
Kim
I'm just curious about the cost factor and how they compare for the paid versions. What is a "low cost" for these services? I have used the free version of elluminate, but space is limited. I would love to be able to incorporate live online conferencing for my classroom and / or after school help. I would like to know which services are the most cost effective and student friendly. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks
I have taught a couple of college course sessions using Elluminate and you can only have 6 on the voice feed at one time with that product. Actually, with more than one or two, you have echos, so I don't consider DimDim's 4 as a limitation. It is a matter of raising your hand and the moderator giving permission.
One product not mentioned is Mikodo, which has 15 users free as far as I know.
Its a good tool, but there are other options - personally I use http://www.showdocument.com since it needs no installation.
really easy for sharing your designs, documents, ideas and collaborating online.
Just saying you should know all your options. - Laura W.
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