This document discusses webconferencing tools for education. It describes webconferencing as conferences that take place online using various software for video, audio, text, or drawing chats. Common tools include instant messaging, online chat rooms, voice chat, video chat, and combinations. The best choice depends on preferences and the type of interaction needed, like visuals for group projects. Webconferencing is useful for students who can't meet in person as it allows meetings anytime from any internet-connected computer. Visual, auditory, and interpersonal learners can all benefit depending on the communication method used.

1. Webconferencing for
Education
by Savannah Eberhardt

2. What is Webconferencing?
A webconference is pretty fairly summed up by its
name. It is a conference that takes place on the
internet. There is a lot of different software you can
use for all sorts of conferences: Video chats, audio
chats, text chats, and even chats where you can use
the cursor to hand-write messages.
I will go over some basic tools for webconferencing,
and why they may or may not work best for you.

3. Webconference Tools
•Instant message clients
(AIM, msn, yahoo messenger)
•Online chat clients (tinychat, real-time
forums)
•Voice chat/calling clients
(voxli, ventrilo, teamspeak)
•Video chat/calling (Skype, oovoo)

4. Which should I choose?
Choosing the type of conference for you is really all about
the personal preferences of those involved. Text chat
clients are a good choice because everyone who has a
computer and internet can participate, but they're also a
little difficult to manage, because everyone types at
different speeds.
Video conferences are the closest to the real thing, and
they're the most helpful for working on group projects or
presentations, especially where visuals are involved.
Voice chats are an easy middle-ground. Not everyone has a
webcam, but many computers come with built-in
microphones these days, and even if yours doesn't, a
decent microphone is still fairly affordable.

5. Why Use Webconferencing?
Webconferencing is an easy solution for
college students working on a project
together in a class, but the rest of their
schedules just don't line up. Or say a
student is commuting, and can't be there on
the day you wanted to meet. With
webconferencing, this isn't a problem, and
the meeting can be held whenever both
parties are near a computer with internet.

6. Who is Webconferencing Best
For?
If you are a visual learner, webconferencing will most
likely work with you if you use a video call on
Skype, or and instant messaging client with text.
Auditory learners will benefit from voice and video
chats.
But the ones who will benefit in all three categories
are the interpersonal thinkers, who will be able to
exceed through human interaction.