Introduction
The use of videoconferencing is a growing factor in education and instructional technology. The majority
of schools and higher education institutions now access, or plan on obtaining, some form of videoconferencing
technology. Equipment ranges from low-end Webcams attached to classroom computers
to mobile high-end carts complete with cameras, microphones, high definition monitors, and wireless
access as well as interactive electronic field trips supplemented by online archived resources. Current
and prospective uses in K-12 classrooms also are wide-ranging; they include direct, supplemental, and
enrichment-based videoconferencing that may be student-to-external providers, student-to-student, student-
to-teacher, and teacher-to-teacher. Higher education also is now beginning to understand the value
of videoconferencing and its potential in preservice and in-service education. Uses now being piloted
include preservice teacher preparation and in-service for practicing professionals. Examples of applications
are: live preservice teacher observation of master teacher practices, supervision of student teaching,
and cross-building/district coaching and modeling. External and informal educators are determined to
not be left behind in this movement; many see videoconferencing as a way of expanding their mission
and meeting the need of the millennium generation. Faced with only limited resources, they have a need
for best practices in developing and offering videoconferencing services to schools that will have both
provider and receiver goals.
Multiple resources are being developed that will assist teachers, administrators, and higher-education
faculty to plan the use of the equipment or assist in the design and implementation of curriculum that
uses videoconferencing; however, there currently is no text or “one source” available that discusses how
videoconferencing is, will, or could impact the total field of education. This book proposes to provide
the reader with that resource; our goal is to bring together, in one volume, perceptions, practices, and
evidence supporting the use of videoconferencing in educational settings. To meet that end, we have
solicited chapters from key stakeholders in the process. This includes: advice and best practices from
some of the most active and advanced external providers in the United States; input from teachers who,
after in-depth use, have found videoconferencing to be of extreme value in their classrooms; information
from administrators and policy-makers on how to support and sustain the process; research-based
data that document positive outcomes; and novel uses by teacher preparation programs that will prepare
the next generation of educators. Each of these chapters offers a separate, unique voice on the role of
videoconferencing in K-12 education, and provides the reader with an overview of best practices and
future trends.
Organization of the Book
This book is organized around key themes relating to the concepts and practices of K-12 education and
videoconferencing. Following is a brief summary of each of the sections.
Section I: What is K-12 Videoconferencing?
In Chapter I, Newman introduces the concept of videoconferencing in K-12 education by providing
an overview of what it is and why it should be used. In discussing “What is videoconferencing?”, she
presents the six major types of videoconferences that are found in the K-12 settings, provides an overview
of their major characteristics and the roles of participants, and briefly discusses the benefits of each
type. When addressing “Why should videoconferencing be used?”, Newman summarizes the benefits
of involvement in the voices of teachers, students, and providers.
Section II: Bringing Providers to the Camera
This section presents key aspects of videoconferencing from the points-of-view of external providers
who are actively involved in the process. Their unique view offers a series of models and best practices
that can be used by other providers, and also offers educators with a look at the process from the other
side of the camera.
In Chapter II, Leach, Morrissey, and Alvarado present a model that can be used by other providers
in developing their videoconferencing capacity. Based on their experiences with The Virtual Outreach
Program at the Michigan State University Museum, they document the shift from an experts-based
model to one which is focused on learning content through object-based learning and dynamic inquiry
in a collaborative community. Revisions in pedagogy, philosophy, and content are explored at each
level and supported by the literature and best practice standards that shaped these changes. Throughout
this chapter, the museum virtual field trip is presented as a partnership between the classroom, museum
experts, and distance-learning providers, working together to create meaningful virtual learning experiences
for K-12 students.
In Chapter III, Fawn Warner, from the Discovery Center of Springfield, expands on this theme by
providing an overview of the development process, issues and challenges, and future goals of a distance-
learning program that provides lessons to K-12 classrooms across the country. Specific topic areas
include technology and equipment, establishing partnerships, working with K-12 school districts and
educators, expanding a program, and staffing needs.
In Chapter IV, Patty Petrey Dees from the Center for Puppetry Arts explores the roles and benefits
of videoconferencing from the content provider’s perspective. The content provider as “field expert”
is discussed, along with the benefits of providing nationwide outreach to K-12 educators and students
via a cost-effective, interactive media. Applications of videoconferencing are addressed in addition to
the perceptions of the provider in such areas as the needs of the K-12 educational community, methods
and tools for presenting successful virtual field trips, and evidence of impact through informal teacher
feedback and a professional study conducted in 2000.
In Chapter V, Sharon Vatsky, from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, discusses a collaborative
provider-teacher process of developing of a videoconferencing lesson that focused on her organization’s
unique architectural structure. This project involved a working partnership between Vatsky and three
teachers that lasted a year and a half, culminating with the launch of a videoconference lesson. In this chapter, she describes the process of collaboration and the added value that the inclusion of educators
brought to the process.
In Chapter VI, Emily Diekemper Hansen, from the Indianapolis Zoo, provides the final voice of
providers in this volume by offering a delightful look at what it means to be an external expert on a
day-to-day basis. Noting that we often allow the pressures and challenges of our jobs to interfere with
being able to enjoy our work, she recounts some of her own personal experiences that show that it is
quite possible to love your job and to find humor and enjoyment in each day while creating a positive
and unique experience for students through technology.
Section III: Bringing Teachers to the Camera
This section highlights the role of videoconferencing from the teachers’ point of view. Written by those
who are “in the trenches”, these chapters offer advice to educators on how to start the process and offer
best practices in implementation.
In Chapter VII, Jennifer Hahn, a middle school teacher in a suburban district, presents the process
of videoconferencing with external providers from the teacher’s side of the camera. She summarizes
the steps necessary to conduct a videoconference, including how to contact and select external content
providers and how to prepare for, conduct, and follow-up on its use. She also examines the benefits of
developing lasting relationships with experts in the field, and how to use their resources to create an
interactive research-based classroom environment.
In Chapter VIII, Tuttle, a former instructional technology specialist for a school district, provides
a framework for improving student learning in K-12 classroom videoconferencing. He describes how
educators can use the “Understanding by Design” model to scaffold learning and assessment before,
during, and after the videoconference, and provides specific examples of each step.
In Chapter IX, Bidjerano and Wilkinson, specialists in learning theory and instructional design,
discuss collaborative classroom videoconferencing as a means of enhancing and enriching classroom
instruction in light of social constructivist learning theory. Distinctive types of collaborative classroom
implementation projects with supporting examples, as well as affective outcomes associated with student
learning, are presented and discussed. The chapter concludes with a summary of the best practices in
the utilization of collaborative classroom projects.
Section IV: Building and Supporting a System of Videoconferencing
This section provides readers with an overview of the infrastructure needed for successful K-12 videoconferencing.
In these chapters, three long-term experts in the field offer their advice on how to develop
and sustain an active videoconferencing program that will aid all children.
In Chapter X, John Falco examines the role of leadership, especially the specific aspect of building
level administrators, in supporting and sustaining effective videoconferencing programs. Written in the
voice of a knowledgeable administrator, he describes how interactive videoconferencing can provide
an opportunity for schools to bring content-area experts from anywhere in the world into the classroom
to engage students in real-time learning. Based on his extensive experience with technology and
videoconferencing, he describes best practices in instructional leadership that reflect a commitment to
collaboration, professional development, appropriate technical support and infrastructure, and inclusion
of external resources.
In Chapter XI, Bose and De Angelo provide the readers with a clear and concise look at what is needed
in terms of equipment and classroom design if videoconferencing is to be efficient and effective. They define and discuss key components of the technological infrastructure needed to support videoconferencing
within the schools’ K-12, such as connectivity needs and essential hardware requirements, including
computers, cameras, audio essentials, and operating controls, and how to decide which equipment and
methods are best for different settings.
In Chapter XII, Bowman, Hernadez, and Miller-Vice take the reader back to the broader but equally
important implications of policy issues related to the use and future of videoconferencing at the elementary
through college levels. This includes issues such as ownership, content, and access, as well as current
and future state, federal, and international policies that guide the use of videoconferencing. Noting that
the future is at hand, they advise us to be aware of these key issues and to provide input into decisions
that will affect the education of future generations.
Section V: Videoconferencing and Teacher Preparation
When we think about videoconferencing and K-12 education, we cannot omit the preparation and training
of those who are or will be teachers. These chapters deal with the role of videoconferencing in preservice
teacher preparation and in-service professional development, offering innovative uses and examples of
best practice in the transfer of knowledge on how to teach.
In Chapter XIII, Barnett, Truesdell, Kenyon, and Mike describe an innovative and powerful role for
videoconferencing in enhancing teacher education programs. They describe how Buffalo State College
uses videoconferencing to link preservice teachers in a higher education program with Pre-K–12 urban
schools. Mediated observations of real classrooms are integrated into a traditional on-campus course via
videoconferencing allowing preservice teachers to observe teachers in the field without having to travel
off-site or be an influence in the classroom. In addition, teachers at the field site are available to debrief
students and help them reflect on successful practices.
In Chapter XIV, Spaulding and Ranney provide an overview of videoconferencing that can be used
by higher education faculty when describing the process to preservice teachers. They offer a brief history
of videoconferencing and discuss some of the various ways in which it can be implemented, noting
some of the benefits that it can bring to the learning community, and some of the challenges that many
educators, eager to use this technology, have experienced.
In Chapter XV, Tuttle expands on the potential uses of videoconferencing when preparing higher
education students for the field of teaching. Through the use of multiple real-life examples, he focuses
on the various types of videoconferences and the types of engagements that can occur that will inform
the teaching process. He advocates for the transformation of teacher preparation classes into ones in
which students have more in-depth and comprehensive experiences that will prepare them, through
videoconferencing, for their future teaching.
In Chapter XVI, Mountain addresses the use of videoconferencing as a means of supporting in-service
teacher professional development. She begins by addressing how adults learn, the need for quality professional
development in education, the different types of professional development being provided, and
examples of how videoconferencing can be used to make this process more effective and cost-efficient.
She concludes with a call for more embedded professional development, offered via videoconferencing,
as a means of serving the needs of individual teachers and buildings.
Section VI: The Impact of Videoconferencing: Does it Help?
This section provides readers with in-depth evidence of the benefits of videoconferencing in K-12 educational
settings. Based on years of experience, hundreds of uses, and thousands of students, the authors
put forth evidence and examples of the impact of videoconferencing on student learning.
In Chapter XVII, Newman begins the discussion by presenting findings from a series of quasiexperimental
studies that compared student outcomes for those who received technology-supported
videoconferencing with those who did not. Her findings indicate that students who participated in
videoconferencing had higher scores on cognitive indicators, were more motivated to learn the material,
and were more interested in learning about related topics than were students who received parallel
instruction via traditional classroom techniques.
In Chapter XVIII, Barbanell addresses the value-added outcomes that result from use of provider-based
interactive videoconferencing and supporting resource. She offers a solid foundation for understanding
the impact of the process on student learning, and presents an overview of approaches to structuring
interactive programs to enable comprehensive, systemic change in student encounters with and understanding
of curriculum content.
In Chapter XIX, Martin expands these discussions by relating her experiences in promoting the creative
use of videoconferencing in schools in Northern Ireland over the past ten years. Rich in examples,
this chapter demonstrates the potential of videoconferencing in assisting educators in being inclusive of
different needs and learning styles and in extending and enriching students’ learning experiences. Readers
who want a full overview of the potential of this medium will find this chapter helpful.
Section VI: The Future of K-12 Videoconferencing
In Chapter XX, our final voice is heard. Silverman describes and offers potential solutions to the issues
of access, equity, student achievement, pedagogical strategies, and the integration of emerging communication
and media technologies that, if deployed, can transform videoconferencing to become a high
performance tool for teaching and learning. Noting that the millennial generation, with unique characteristics
that distinguish it from generations that have gone before, must have the skills and knowledge to
live and work in a global, diverse, and politically-charged world, he urges us to deploy videoconferencing
to its fullest capacity and to seek out new ways that will further expand our horizons.
Summary
It is our hope that you find this volume useful and that it helps to expand your knowledge and value of the
process of videoconferencing in K-12 education. We believe this tool is transforming education in ways
that we have only begun to realize, and that the future of education will be found on both sides of the
camera. We welcome your feedback on this material, your examples of how you use videoconferencing
now and in the future, and most importantly, any new and creative uses that you might develop.
Dianna L. Newman
John Falco
Stan Silverman
Patricia Barbanell
Editors
evalpub@uamail.albany.edu