Navigating the Sea of Research on Video Conferencing-Based Distance Education

A Platform for Understanding Research into the Technology’s Effectiveness and Value

This is a white paper provided by Polycom, and written by Alan Greenberg of Wainhouse Research. I suppose under most circumstances you might look at this as biased, but since it points to a series of studies and literature searches, which presumably have stood up to peer review, the paper is worth a look. Not surprisingly, they think V.C.B.D.E is terrific. 🙂

For delivering instruction, video conferencing
likely is neither more nor less effective than
its counterpart, the “traditional” classroom.

• Interactivity is king — video conferencing supports far greater interaction than is otherwise possible from many asynchronous technologies,
  and effective video conferencing-based instruction must be designed to take advantage of this capability.
• A number of other, related instructional strategies have been identified to maximize the success of a video conferencing-based learning situation.
• When used appropriately, video conferencing is a cost-effective way for educational institutions to deliver successful educational experiences to an expanded student population.

This is one of a host of white papers provided by Polycom which cover all kinds of topics related to videoconferencing. The resource list is located here.