Post Video Conference Reflection

It was an interesting experience. Attendance at all locations was sparse. We had the largest crowd at UCM due to the vocal jazz ensemble that followed me on the agenda. The reactions of these young college students to the somewhat techy information was exciting.

As with most first-time adventures, the VC was not without its glitches. The other sites were all using VC classrooms and PolyComm equipment. Mike Jeffries had the additional challenge of setting up a "mobile" site in the Union using a differnt vendor's product - LifeSize. We experienced a video dropout when switching back and forth between the PC to the camera. Another challenge was with the backlight coming from the windows causing the automatic feature of the camera to average the light input and create a very dark picture. Since most of the really important information came from the PowerPoint presentation on the PC, it was not a big issue.

Barb Carder from Extended Campus suggested that I submit my presentation for the Missouri Distance Learning Association (MODLA) Conference. It's too late for this year, but maybe next.

I am really glad that I used links to the various slides rather that just creating a sequential presentation. I provided more flexibility. As time was short, I was able to eliminate some of the non-essential slides without have to "click through" them. However, they asked me to email the presentation to share with the participants and I'm not sure they will be able to effectively navigate through the slides. I'll work on the presentation a little before I send it.