2.1.1 Delivery Methods and Synchronous Vendor Market
Synchronous delivery systems in the world of digital learning can be used to great value, especially if the implementation increases student motivation, increases the instructor presence, facilitates immediate and appropriate feedback, and is used on a regular and reliable basis. The preceding success points are instructor based and account for much of the success of any digital learning community.
However, the platform for synchronous delivery involves programming as well as the software and hardware required must be robust to ensure the seamless integration of student and teacher access and ability to participate in the real-time meeting. Several companies have been successful in creating such robust platforms.
One such company, Adobe Connect offers flash based web meetings, seminars, chat, and video conferencing. A key benefit with Adobe is that their meetings are "persistent", meaning that they are available forever, unless deleted by the organizer. All lectures can be recorded as well as class sessions and webinars. The system includes a built in whiteboard function as well as file sharing and live mark-up sessions, which are all indispensable parts of f2f learning. What's more, the system is available on virtually any device. While I don't have a Mac product with which to test this system (adobe flash doesn't work with Mac).
Other companies include:
Cisco - WebEx Product capabilities and comparisons (vendor)
GoToMeeting homepage (vendor)
Blackboard Corporation (vendor)
WIMBA / Elluminate (which seems to now be a subsidiary under Blackboard)
BigBlueButton - the demo page (open source)
Google + (google docs, hangouts, photos, circles, etc) (open source- data collected by google marketing)
iNACOL has some guidelines for both vendor and open source solutions:
| Vendor Solution | Open Source Solution |
+ Professionally Developed
+ Vendor is accountable for correct functioning of system
+ Initial start-up may be easier
+ Technical Support available from vendor, in some cases 24×7 support
– In some cases, technical support, especially 24×7 support has extra costs
– Ability to make changes to systems and content is more limited
– Ongoing licensing cost
|
+ Software is developed by a community with common needs
+ Vendors may exist to provide technical support for open source solution (at a cost)
+ Are able to customize and modify systems and content as desired
+ Little or no cost to obtain system, low risk to trying out system
– May not have formal technical support available
– Sufficient technical expertise required to make modifications to systems and content
– Ongoing human resource cost to maintain and update
|
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