Programs for remote training (webinars)
On Twitter, a good man asked if someone was familiar with the software for the providence of webinars. I volunteered to help, but since it is difficult in three tweets to tell even briefly about some subtleties, I decided to make a small post on this topic. Perhaps it will be useful for other people who want to try their hand at remote learning.
My higher education and current job is directly related to distance learning. Therefore, today I will tell you a little about the programs with which I had the opportunity to work and some conclusions that I had during this time.
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At once I will say that in addition to the client part of the software on the user's computer, the server side of this kind of programs plays a big role. And since remote learning implies a large flow of media content, the server part is key. Since all this requires considerable power, the majority of such programs are paid and require monthly subscription fees. Therefore, the right step before making a decision is to try the trial version of the program and see if it’s convenient for you to work with it or not. Fortunately, most suppliers allow you to try the program for free for 2-4 weeks.
In principle, the prices for all are almost the same - $ 50 per month. Yes, perhaps, not the cheapest service, but Skype unfortunately does not have all the necessary functions for remote learning, and the connection will suffer if there are more than 5 people in a class. Therefore, if you plan to conduct a webinar at a high level, and not just for friends and acquaintances, then you still have to invest in this venture a certain amount.
The first challenger "Webex" , a subsidiary of the leader of computer networks "Cisco". Logically, their quality of communication and service should be a cut above that of all competitors. In fact, far from it. Although in the normal state the quality of audio and video transmission is at a height, there are often extraordinary situations, such as class duplication on servers, after which two identical classes appear and participants are scattered inside in random order. It happens that just nobody can get to the class. Another unpleasant feature of this system is that if a teacher crashes / exits for some reason from the class at the same moment the class on the server closes and all participants take off too. There are many such unpleasant flaws and each time you can find something new. The interface of the program is very nice and clear. Video quality is better than all competitors. Support for major operating systems, there is in my opinion even a version for the iPhone.
The next challenger is “Interwise” , owned by the American AT & T. Perhaps this is one of the most famous and popular services of this kind. I meet him in firms and various organizations much more often than any other program for remote learning. Interwise is stable, easy to manage and convenient in moderation. The firm in which I work now, on Intervayze pass 95% of all lessons and webinars. As a person who teaches and helps people remotely, it is most convenient for me to work with him. As a bonus, there is even an opportunity to go remotely to the student’s computer through the program (after its resolution) and check why his sound has fallen off or what he has in mind when describing any problems in the program on his computer. There are programs and their disadvantages. For example, when working on Skype in the background, there is a big chance that a person will not be heard in the classroom, since Skype keeps the audio channel and not all programs can take this right from him. You have to close Skype and restart Interwise. The second noticeable problem with interlacing is the lack of cross-platform. To this day, “AT & T” did not bother to release a version under Mac OS. Strange, isn't it? Especially, given the fact that they are the sole distributor of iPhones in the United States. As far as I know, there is a web interface for such cases. But judging by the rumors, he is very much less in functionality and convenience to the Windows version. There are two versions of Interwise: iClass and iMeeting, but about this perhaps another time.
And I will complete my today's story with the Elluminate program from Elluminati Inc. Relatively young, but rapidly gaining company. They say it is very stable. I just started to touch it and learn a little. In principle, it starts quite easily, but its interface looks very saturated due to the abundance of various buttons and menus. The program is written in Java, therefore, requires it on your computer. Cross platform and easy. I will tell you in confidence that we began to look towards Elluminate in order to replace our Webex classes with something more convenient for the makovods. In any case, the program is worthy of attention. In addition, in the process of writing this article, I noticed that in addition to the paid Elluminate Live, an announcement about an absolutely free “Elluminate vRoom” appeared on the site. I haven't tried it myself yet, but judging by what has been written, all the necessary functions are included.
That's all for now. I will be glad to answer all your questions, if any. I wish you all to be patient teachers and have as many capable and diligent students as possible!
Upd. A more detailed examination and in-depth testing of Elluminate , revealed a lot of problems and bugs. Now, after all the checks, I would not put it in line with Webex and Interwise.
My higher education and current job is directly related to distance learning. Therefore, today I will tell you a little about the programs with which I had the opportunity to work and some conclusions that I had during this time.
')
At once I will say that in addition to the client part of the software on the user's computer, the server side of this kind of programs plays a big role. And since remote learning implies a large flow of media content, the server part is key. Since all this requires considerable power, the majority of such programs are paid and require monthly subscription fees. Therefore, the right step before making a decision is to try the trial version of the program and see if it’s convenient for you to work with it or not. Fortunately, most suppliers allow you to try the program for free for 2-4 weeks.
In principle, the prices for all are almost the same - $ 50 per month. Yes, perhaps, not the cheapest service, but Skype unfortunately does not have all the necessary functions for remote learning, and the connection will suffer if there are more than 5 people in a class. Therefore, if you plan to conduct a webinar at a high level, and not just for friends and acquaintances, then you still have to invest in this venture a certain amount.
The first challenger "Webex" , a subsidiary of the leader of computer networks "Cisco". Logically, their quality of communication and service should be a cut above that of all competitors. In fact, far from it. Although in the normal state the quality of audio and video transmission is at a height, there are often extraordinary situations, such as class duplication on servers, after which two identical classes appear and participants are scattered inside in random order. It happens that just nobody can get to the class. Another unpleasant feature of this system is that if a teacher crashes / exits for some reason from the class at the same moment the class on the server closes and all participants take off too. There are many such unpleasant flaws and each time you can find something new. The interface of the program is very nice and clear. Video quality is better than all competitors. Support for major operating systems, there is in my opinion even a version for the iPhone.
The next challenger is “Interwise” , owned by the American AT & T. Perhaps this is one of the most famous and popular services of this kind. I meet him in firms and various organizations much more often than any other program for remote learning. Interwise is stable, easy to manage and convenient in moderation. The firm in which I work now, on Intervayze pass 95% of all lessons and webinars. As a person who teaches and helps people remotely, it is most convenient for me to work with him. As a bonus, there is even an opportunity to go remotely to the student’s computer through the program (after its resolution) and check why his sound has fallen off or what he has in mind when describing any problems in the program on his computer. There are programs and their disadvantages. For example, when working on Skype in the background, there is a big chance that a person will not be heard in the classroom, since Skype keeps the audio channel and not all programs can take this right from him. You have to close Skype and restart Interwise. The second noticeable problem with interlacing is the lack of cross-platform. To this day, “AT & T” did not bother to release a version under Mac OS. Strange, isn't it? Especially, given the fact that they are the sole distributor of iPhones in the United States. As far as I know, there is a web interface for such cases. But judging by the rumors, he is very much less in functionality and convenience to the Windows version. There are two versions of Interwise: iClass and iMeeting, but about this perhaps another time.
And I will complete my today's story with the Elluminate program from Elluminati Inc. Relatively young, but rapidly gaining company. They say it is very stable. I just started to touch it and learn a little. In principle, it starts quite easily, but its interface looks very saturated due to the abundance of various buttons and menus. The program is written in Java, therefore, requires it on your computer. Cross platform and easy. I will tell you in confidence that we began to look towards Elluminate in order to replace our Webex classes with something more convenient for the makovods. In any case, the program is worthy of attention. In addition, in the process of writing this article, I noticed that in addition to the paid Elluminate Live, an announcement about an absolutely free “Elluminate vRoom” appeared on the site. I haven't tried it myself yet, but judging by what has been written, all the necessary functions are included.
That's all for now. I will be glad to answer all your questions, if any. I wish you all to be patient teachers and have as many capable and diligent students as possible!
Upd. A more detailed examination and in-depth testing of Elluminate , revealed a lot of problems and bugs. Now, after all the checks, I would not put it in line with Webex and Interwise.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/96699/
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