Musings about the class videoconference on May 17

This past Monday night our Emerging Technologies class met via Adobe Connect for the purpose of getting to know each other a little bit more, to discuss the readings, and to experience firsthand a virtual classroom complete with audio and video.

I had tested my computer ahead of time and expected the session to go smoothly but it turned out to be an exercise in frustration. The audio was extremely choppy and sometimes the sequence of the conversation was even mixed up---I would hear a classmate answer a question before I heard the professor ask it. Often it seemed that people were talking at the same time, making the conversation unintelligible.

I was in a hotel room connected wirelessly to the Internet and suspect that there was not enough bandwidth available. So I'll give Adobe Connect the benefit of the doubt and hope that the next session will go more smoothly.

I've used Elluminate's virtual classroom and have found the moderator's ability to selectively turn on/off participants' microphones is very useful. In a large group, having a moderator, aka "traffic cop," is a necessity.

In spite of this rocky start, I have no doubt that this type of technology will become even more mainstream as high-speed Internet service becomes part of each home's utilities alongside electricity, sewer, water and gas.