Internet Learning Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2012 | Page 23

22 Internet Learning Table 1. Technical Solution by Semester Semester Hardware Configuration 1st Classroom computer; wireless microphone; web camera; wireless mouse tablet 2nd Classroom computer; wireless microphone; web camera; second computer; wireless mouse and keyboard rd 3 Same as second semester (above) 4th Web camera; wireless mouse and keyboard Webinar Software/Service Elluminate Live, Version 9 Elluminate Live, Version 9 Elluminate Live, Version 10 Elluminate Live, Version 10 Despite the different hardware configurations, it was seldom possible for virtual attendees to fully hear questions and exchanges by other students. Due to the difficulties of managing multiple speakers through Elluminate and network limitations, virtual attendees “chatted” rather than spoke their questions and comments, so their input was always visible. The instructor was generally audible, barring network issues. But students’ questions could only be heard clearly outside the classroom to the extent they spoke up considerably and were located in reasonable proximity to the microphone, roughly the front half of the class. Early on, one tactic to broadcast classroom discussion was for the instructor (wearing a microphone during that phase of the trial) to move physically closer to the speakers when extended discussion occurred. But most of the students very briefly requested clarifications or examples from the instructor or gave relatively short answers to the instructors’ questions, which did not allow enough time to approach them. An unintended consequence of the changing hardware configurations was the added complexity and the associated risk of failures. Table 2 lists the most common technical issues, illustrating the degree to which the instructor, as technician, had to be involved with minimizing problems with the infrastructure. The simplest configuration was ultimately chosen (in the fourth semester), using the stationary microphone capability of the web camera, which featured zone-oriented audio pickup. This solution effectively