Virtual Conferencing
Experiences of class members
Overall, all 10 people who completed our survey on virtual conferencing thoroughly enjoyed this new learning experience. All participants enjoyed learning how to use Skype and Elluminate. They liked connecting with their Australian teammates, and being able to see them through the webcam felt more personal than just emailing them. It was also a new style of learning for some and they enjoyed getting to know their teammates. Others found that it was more enjoyable than normal work. As the students were having more fun with their work and they were enjoying what they were doing, their motivation level in class lifted dramatically. All students except one felt that they tried harder at the work they were producing. Reasons varied from not wanting to let their teammates down to wanting to expand their knowledge because they were having fun. Most students felt it would be a good idea to introduce virtual conferencing into other classes as well. Here are some comments relating to what students thought about virtual conferencing:
"It's a new experience and I reckon it could be used for a lot of educational purposes to encourage class work being done, and it may motivate people to actually do their work and complete it fully to a reasonable standard while also expanding their knowledge."
"Virtual conferencing is a new style of learning that I really enjoyed. You meet new people while doing work."
"It is a fun and creative way to communicate and work with each other and it really challenges you with your working skills."