Adding Real-Time Instructions (Video Conferencing) to Your Moodle Course

If you've followed along so far, you know about all the various media possibilities. I know you're thinking, though: You want to hold real live meetings or lectures in front of your whiteboard to enable students sitting at different locations to ask you questions that you can answer and explain right away using your Web browser or that you want to set up a brainstorming session for your learners in real time — can you use Moodle and integrate your with my course?” The answer is “Yes, indeed!” Aren't you happy you asked?

Here are some of the perks:

  • You can collaborate in real time like you were really there with any of your learners, located at different locations, anywhere in the world! Hint: Just get the times right — the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Converter can help you out in this situation (http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/gmt-converter2.htm).
  • You can share documents, whiteboards, record your sessions — with no software to install! Just think of how much money you'll save in travel when these tools come bundled with video, voice, and phone conferencing.
  • You can link to and/or integrate a number of third-party software. The one I recommend is the DimDim, which is open source software. There's no cost for small number of users, and if you use it within educational organizations, you have more options for larger groups for free.

    For a guide on setting up DimDim and integrating it with Moodle, go to http://cvs.moodle.org/contrib/plugins/mod/dimdim/Install.pdf?view=co.

A number of third-party software products also offer a similar service to DimDim. You may have heard of some of them:

The companion Web site includes hints and FAQs and links to other resources.

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