Opportunities for Incorporating Desktop and Mobile Videoconferencing Solutions in Teaching and Extension Programs

Another form of technology employed by horticulturists that has seen significant advancements over the past 25 years is that of videoconferencing. Attempting to see, hear and talk to one person or a group of people at a distance in the 1990’s required access to very expensive proprietary equipment, software, network connections and compatible systems at both ends. Today, one-to-one conversation between people (point-to-point) or among multiple parties (multipoint) is possible on laptop computers and even mobile devices using built-in hardware and free accounts from cloud vendors. In addition to voice and visual communications, today’s meeting software also allows users to share documents, display desktop applications and switch presenters. This session will feature both large-scale and free conferencing systems. Features such as scheduling, recording and options for mobile devices will be discussed. Implications for self-recording software tutorials, website demonstrations and audio/video feedback to assignments or questions submitted by others will be used as examples for developing teaching and extension instructional materials using a videoconferencing system.