Teaching and collaborating via video conference

Our office manages videoconference and TelePresence technology for George Mason University as well as several options for desktop conferencing that are interoperable with our room systems. Currently we are using these different technologies as a means for teaching courses collaboratively with other universities both nationally and internationally, for students who are located across the different Mason campuses, for faculty who are living abroad, and research collaboration with external entities. CVT would like to host a compact session and participate in the poster session. We would explain the technology, how it is being used at Mason to advance opportunities for our faculty and students and have a faculty member present to discuss their experience. This technology is an excellent tool in Mason’s mission to be a “university for the world.” Our technology affords the faculty and students a creative solution to connect with institutions and organizations on a global level and collaborate in ways they were not previously able to.

A comparison between three electronic media and in-person learning for continuing education in physical rehabilitation

We produced continuing education material in physical rehabilitation using a variety of electronic media. We compared four methods of delivering the learning modules: in person with a computer projector, desktop videoconferencing, Web pages and CD-ROM. Health-care workers at eight community hospitals and two nursing homes were asked to participate in the project. A total of 394 questionnaires were received for all modalities: 73 for in-person sessions, 50 for desktop conferencing, 227 for Web pages and 44 for CD-ROM. This represents a 100% response rate from the in-person, desktop conferencing and CD-ROM groups; the response rate for the Web group is unknown, since the questionnaires were completed online. Almost all participants found the modules to be helpful in their work. The CD-ROM group gave significantly higher ratings than the Web page group, although all four learning modalities received high ratings. A combination of all four modalities would be required to provide the best possible learning opportunity.