Best Practices and Benefits of Interactive Web Conferencing via WebEx
Abstract: The Towson University WebEx pilot began when faculty members requested a technology similar to Skype to incorporate into online courses. This session will discuss the benefits and best practices discovered by faculty using interactive web conferencing (IWC) such as: meeting individual students’ learning styles, freeing up classroom space, increasing student-to-student and student-to-teacher interaction, promoting collaborative/active learning, adding variety to modes of information/content sharing, eliminating the need to commute to campus, and providing pre-service teachers with experience learning and teaching in an IWC environment. Best practices include: troubleshooting the technology, providing effective PD and training for faculty and students, strategies for conducting effective and successful meetings, planning instruction to meet learning goals, and ways to promote consistent student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction.