Description
Library budgets are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, and librarians have to be creative in order to meet the collaborative needs of faculty and students. Not all libraries can afford licenses for higher-end videoconferencing software packages such as Adobe Connect or Cisco WebEx, despite their importance in serving distance education students and facilitating faculty collaborations. But with all the free alternatives available, how do you decide what s worth it?
The presenters evaluated free programs that offer voice, chat, and screensharing capacities; they are also cross-platform and entirely free of charge. These programs have applications both for reaching distance education students and for professional development. Advantages and disadvantages of several programs will be presented. Although it is said that you get what you pay for, free web conference software can offer rewards far beyond its time and space initial investment.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: Vicki Gruzynski is the Information Services Librarian at Southeast Missouri State University' Kent Library; Rachel Slough is the E-Learning Librarian at Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Start Date
17-3-2011 12:14 PM
Free your budget, Free your mind: Free Online Web Conference Solutions
Library budgets are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, and librarians have to be creative in order to meet the collaborative needs of faculty and students. Not all libraries can afford licenses for higher-end videoconferencing software packages such as Adobe Connect or Cisco WebEx, despite their importance in serving distance education students and facilitating faculty collaborations. But with all the free alternatives available, how do you decide what s worth it?
The presenters evaluated free programs that offer voice, chat, and screensharing capacities; they are also cross-platform and entirely free of charge. These programs have applications both for reaching distance education students and for professional development. Advantages and disadvantages of several programs will be presented. Although it is said that you get what you pay for, free web conference software can offer rewards far beyond its time and space initial investment.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: Vicki Gruzynski is the Information Services Librarian at Southeast Missouri State University' Kent Library; Rachel Slough is the E-Learning Librarian at Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.