Guide for Selecting and Testing a Videoconference System

• The Team

  Successful implementation of videoconferencing in a school building is predicated on the careful selection of a system. Technical issues for using videoconferencing in the classroom or school building are no small matter and addressing them in a systematic way alleviates frustration later on. A well-devised school system videoconferencing selection and implementation plan is a team effort.  The team should consist of teachers, administrators, building and system-level technical people (many schools have a single person responsible for latter roles.)

  Recommended team members and their roles and responsibilities are:

  Teachers - identify teaching goals and define how videoconferencing will be used in their teaching practice

  Administrators - define how videoconferencing will be used for building-wide activities and ensure appropriate school policies and regulations are followed (e.g. video capture of children or distribution of such video)

  Building Level Network Administrator - be familiar with the local network including prospective computers, wiring, and telecommunications connections, room space and any end-point technical issue

  System Level Network Administrator - be familiar with wide area network components enabling videoconferencing into and out of the school system network (firewall, NAT, WAN configurations, etc.)

  There is no prescription for making videoconferencing work in every situation. Technology resources vary in every classroom, building, and school system. Therefore, what we are able to provide you with is a decision-making guide specific to classrooms. This section is specifically focused on the needs of classroom teachers and building-level administrators. Other sections of the Cookbook provide more detail and guidance for generic implementation of videoconferencing.

• Define Your Videoconferencing Needs

  At this step you should gain clarity about what you want videoconferencing to do for you. If you are just beginning to investigate how videoconferencing can be used to effectively support advanced teaching and learning practice, read through some case studies: Uses of Videoconferencing, Case Studies.

  The price of videoconferencing systems directly varies according to the capacity and capabilities.  What need is the videoconferencing fulfilling?  We can typically divide needs into two categories 1) instructional, 2) administrative, and 3) collaborative.

  Instructional needs: classroom teaching, videoconferencing with remote locations for the purpose of student learning, "virtual" visits to other learning environments, learning communities, mentoring, remote services for the deaf and hard of hearing, or students communicating with other people (e.g. students, teachers, scientists).

  Administrative needs: faculty communicating with student teachers, administrators able to schedule live observations of teachers for feedback and support, organizing distance learning for administrators or teachers, communication between school buildings or school systems.

  Collaborative needs: faculty collaborating with other faculty, both locally and remotely, to discuss topics such as sources of educational materials, professional conferences, equipment selection and debugging. This can be done with a classroom videoconferencing system, but it can also be done less expensively and more ubiquitously with a desktop system on each faculty participant's desk.

  Guiding Questions:

  • Who will manage the system?
  • Who will use the system? What is the expected ease-of-use for the end-user?  How will the system align with the technological skills and knowledge of your intended users? 
  • Are you selecting the videoconferencing technology to be used at each endpoint?
  • Will there be action in the room (instruction, learning, or conversations) that should be in view of the camera (do you need the pan-tilt-zoom functions on the camera)?
  • What are the audio requirements - teacher, students, participants, or all?
  • What is your budget allocation?
  • Are you connecting with people using an existing videoconferencing system?  If so, what is that system and what are its capabilities and requirements?
  • Will students be seen from the videoconferencing system?  What paperwork must be completed to allow students to be seen through videoconferencing?  How will students not approved to be seen on video be accommodated (e.g. camera angle, seating arrangements in room)?
    

• Determine Location

  The location of your videoconferencing system is defined by the needs of the users (i.e. teachers and/or administrators).  Location will determine telecommunications and computer-related technology available or needed in that space. 

  Guiding Questions:

  • Based on the defined need - who will need access and why?
  • How many people at one time?
  • Where is the space to accommodate the need(s)?
  • Does the space have the infrastructure to support the system and user needs? (e.g. lighting, network access, power, ability to mount equipment, security)

  For further detailed reference on this subject, see the main Cookbook section, Related Topics.

• Select the System

  Your instructional or administrative needs define this critical step - choosing the system.  The Tips for Selecting and Tuning your PC contains more detail and technical information about systems to support your choice.  Here we add a few questions and information specific to K-12 and other teaching environments here.

  Guiding Questions:

  • Do you need a computer-based videoconferencing system (camera+mike+software to install on a computer)?

    Advantages:

    • Cost effective
    • May connect to existing equipment
    • Easily placed in classroom
    • Not intrusive to classroom environment

    Disadvantages:

    • Typically stays with one computer at location
    • Typically not as powerful (i.e. lower frame rate or lower quality video) than all-inclusive systems
    • Usually needs more powerful computer to run a software only codec
    • May be difficult to use with a separate projector or display device.

    Questions to be addressed:

    • What computer-related technology is available?
    • Will it support the software and hardware requirements?
    • Is it accessible for installation and flexible for adjustment to accommodate viewing needs?
    • What projection technology is available?
    • Is appropriate lighting available?
    • What telecommunications capability is available (e.g. Ethernet, ISDN, Cable, DSL)?
      
  
  
  • Do you want a self-contained videoconferencing system (hardware solution)?

    Advantages:

    • Typically good mobility - all you need is an Internet connection
    • Higher quality picture and quality of service
    • Options: if you have the resources there are many options to choose from (pan-tilt-zoom, high quality audio, lapel sensor to follow the presenter)

    Disadvantages:

    • More expensive solution
    • Size or look can be intrusive to the classroom
    • Some units are not very mobile

    Questions to be addressed:

    • What telecommunications are available (i.e. Ethernet, ISDN)?
    • What projection is available (i.e. LCD projector, TV)?
    • Will the location meet space requirements for one person or multiple people?
    • Is appropriate lighting available?
    • Is there flexibility in camera angle and location?
    • Can appropriate audio accommodations be made?

  For further detailed reference on this subject, see the main Cookbook section, Basic Requirements for Successful Videoconferencing.

• Consider the specifics of the technical environments typical for K-12 and classroom environments

  Once you have defined the need, location, and maybe even chosen a system you must also address the technical issues.  Of course, it is always best to have resolved and planned for technical issues BEFORE selecting a system, but there are times when this is not possible. The main Cookbook section Network Matters should be reviewed by your building and system network administrators to gain an understanding of what is involved in implementing and support a videoconferencing solution. For example, a large majority of K-12 schools have firewalls present in their school network system and dealing with them will most likely be a main topic for your discussion (the firewall must be configured in a way that allows videoconferencing to take place). Discussing these matters with your planning team and the network administrators ahead of time will improve your chances of successfully implementing an effective solution.

• Purchasing and implementing a solution

  Before you purchase your final solution, take time to analyze the right choice of vendor. For example, will the vendor assist you in planning and making decisions? Will they provide you with a demo, technical support, warranty, and upgrades? These and other issues are detailed in the main Cookbook section Basic Relationships.

• Testing the system and connection

  After you purchase the solution for your school, you are advised to do a thorough set of tests with some other sites. This will help you pinpoint any problems or possible weak points that you may still have in the system and give you an opportunity to get acquainted with all features of the system and how to fine tune some of them (if the system provides that). For further detailed reference on this, see the main Cookbook section Testing the System and Connection.

  Remember that you will need to do a similar (although not as extensive) set of tests as preparation for each connection. Different sites will have different types of videoconferencing solutions and different networking capabilities, and you should examine the quality of sessions with each site well before the main session.