8 Ways to Use Video Conferencing in the Classroom Today

Technology is expanding today’s classroom, opening it up to the world.  Educators across the globe are leveraging the power and potential of video conferencing technology to create better learning experiences, to collaborate with other classes virtually, changing the landscape of education across the board.

Here are eight ways video conferencing is currently being used to expand the “classroom” beyond the four walls of a traditional classroom setting.

Guest Lectures

One of the coolest, most convenient ways to bring in experts and guest lecturers to your classroom is through video conferencing.  

Tufts University uses video conferencing technology as a way to bring offsite guest lecturers into the classroom. This makes for a more budget-friendly visit and a huge saver in travel time and expenses.

For younger students, you can bring in the author of one of the children’s favorite stories for story time.  What a unique experience!

Virtual Field Trips

I’m in love with virtual field trips!  They can take you places you have never been, let you see things you’ve never seen, and you don’t need to step away from your desk for it to happen.

Unfortunately, over the past ten years, there has been a significant decline in educational field trips due to budget cuts and a lack of resources for educators.  Field trips provide a valuable learning experience for kids of all ages, giving access to real-life experiences, culture, art, history and much more.

With video conferencing, field trips can now get delivered right to the classroom.  Video conferencing allows students to continue to have those experiences, learn, and have fun!

International Collaboration

Do you remember having a pen pal when you were a kid?  How exciting was it to get letters from someone that lived in a whole different country?  

With video conferencing in the classroom, you can connect classmates and colleagues across the world, allowing children and adults to communicate with other students or team members in different locations using video and audio transmissions.

Imagine this technology in the classroom and the impact on expanding minds and the possibilities it provides.

(Interesting side note: check out this screenshot of a recent MaestroConference team meeting during which we were able to have people from 4 different continents on the screen at the same time by using our soon-to-be-released video conferencing technology!

Study Groups

Study groups are a great, practical application for video conferencing.  Allow people from the same class but in different parts of the world to work together toward a common goal.

MaestroConference’s Breakout Groups make creating study groups super simple, allowing groups to be assigned randomly or pre-determined with a click of the mouse!

Office Hours

Office hours play an important role for students and teachers, providing students with an opportunity to meet with the teacher one-on-one to ask questions and get help.  For teachers, some of the most rewarding teachings happen in the office.

One of the chief problems with office hours is scheduling conflicts.  Solution? Ditch the traditional schedule! Video conferencing allows for a more flexible schedule as students have the opportunity to meet with the teacher at virtually any time or place.

Virtual Labs

One of the most immersive learning experiences occur in the lab setting. How can you replicate this immersive learning environment virtually? By leveraging the power of video to connect remote students with the lab. Virtual labs allow students to learn basic lab techniques, perform experiments, collect data, and more, utilizing video conferencing technologies to give instruction and conduct walkthroughs.

Distance Learning

In 2005, I started a Bachelors’ program with an online university.  Though you were able to chat with your classmates and professors through a forum-like set-up or email, it was missing the classroom feel. There wasn’t a way to have any “real” discussion with anyone since it was at your own pace and could take hours or sometimes days to get back a response.  

With video conferencing, you can bring that classroom feel back to distance learning.  Online lectures, class discussion times, office hours and much more can be added to distance learning schedules and allow for a fuller college experience.

Administrative Uses

There are so many administrative applications for video conferencing; it’s hard to keep track of them all!  Here are a few great ones:

• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Faculty Meetings
• Lesson Planning

The possibilities for video conferencing in the classroom are endless!  Are you ready to take the next step in expanding your teaching and learning capacity by implementing video conferencing in your classroom?  Click here to start a free trial.