VideoconferencingA case study

Esther HardmanWeald of Kent Grammar School

Tonbridge

Videoconferencing• What is videoconferencing?• Our case study• What did we do?• The importance of planning• Language learning activities• Managing a videoconference• Learning outcomes

• Relevance to new secondary curriculum• Notes about “Flashmeeting” software• Moving forward• Online resources

What is videoconferencing?

• Connecting people in different locations via the internet

• Web-cams enable participants to see and hear each other and hold a ‘virtual conference’

What did we do?

• Joint project between Weald of Kent Grammar School and St. Margaret Clitherow Primary School

• Used a year 10 post-GCSE French group and a year 5/6 Primary class

• A series of approx. 6 lessons

• Developed speaking and listening activities for both primary and secondary students to improve their language skills

The Importance of Planning• Planning by staff• face to face meetings• working with the primary school to develop

ideas and activities• setting up a timetable• virtual meetings to practice using the

equipment (internally and externally)

• Preparing the Pupils• pupil practice sessions in English• pupil practice of activities without web-cam• pupil practice being in front of the web-cam

Language Learning Activities

• Pupil introductions

• Pre-prepared questions asked by primary class to groups of secondary students in French

• Role-plays performed in French by secondary students whilst primary students played vocabulary ‘Bingo’

• Activities differentiated

• End of conference and evaluations

Managing the Videoconference

• Managing the lesson• Confidence with equipment• Using additional adults (ICT support,

members of Dept.)• Consider group size and dynamics• Give all pupils a focus - peer

assessment sheet• Videoconference skills• Language skills• Peer feedback• Whole class discussion – how to improve?

Managing the Videoconference

• Videoconferencing Etiquette• Pre-defined running order• Communication in case of equipment

failure• Signs / signals• Instant messaging

• Managing change-overs / on-screen traffic

Learning Outcomes• KS2• Facilitated language learning

• KS4• Practised and reinforced language knowledge• Built confidence in the target language

• Skills – more than subject specific:• personal presentation skills; • public speaking skills; • ICT skills; • independent learning skills;• trouble shooting skills

Relevance to KS2 Framework for Languages

O 6.2 Perform to an audience.

O 6.3 Understand longer and more complex phrases or sentences

O 6.4 Use spoken language confidently to initiate and sustain conversations and to tell stories.

IU 6.1 Compare attitudes towards aspects of everyday life

Relevance to New Secondary Curriculum

• Active learning

• Creative use of ICT

• Links with other subjects • ICT • Life Skills

• Goes beyond classroom

Notes about “Flashmeeting” Software

• Hosted by E2BN: http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/

• ICT requirements: IWB, PC, speakers and web-cam

Notes about Software

• Setting up• Register as a user with website• Complete online booking process• All participants then register via

generated unique URL • All participants check equipment to

check meet requirements• Combined webcam and microphone

provide cost friendly approach 

“Flashmeeting” in Practice

• Advantages• Free and secure• Requires no downloading or installation• Only requirements are internet connection,

web-cam, speakers and IWB if whole class activity.

• Record the meeting for replay

• Disadvantages• Entry level software• Only one person/class can speak

(“broadcast”) at one time.• Only simultaneous communication via instant

messaging or emoticons whilst queuing to speak – ordered / restrictive?

Moving Forward

• Plan to trial software akin to industrial / corporate level – allow spontaneity

• Use Foreign Language Assistant

• Involve real life communication with native speakers

Online Resources

• South East Grid for Learning• http://www.segfl.org.uk/casestudies/ • Select: “Kent schools using

Flashmeeting for MFL”

• TeachNet UK• http://www.teachnet-uk.org.uk/projects-

languages.htm

• “Flashmeeting” user guide:• http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/projects/

Rivers/docs/flashmeeting%20sep3.pdf