Video conferencing Impact on education - UGC NET EXAM

Videoconferencing (VC) is the conduct of a videoconference (also known as a video conference or videoteleconference) by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions. It has also been called 'visual collaboration' and is a type of groupware.

Videoconferencing differs from videophone calls in that it's designed to serve a conference or multiple locations rather than individuals.It is an intermediate form of videotelephony, first used commercially in Germany during the late-1930s and later in the United States during the early 1970s as part of AT&T's development of Picturephone technology.

With the introduction of relatively low cost, high capacity broadband telecommunication services in the late 1990s, coupled with powerful computing processors and video compression techniques, videoconferencing has made significant inroads in business, education, medicine and media.

Videoconferencing provides students with the opportunity to learn by participating in two-way communication forums. Furthermore, teachers and lecturers worldwide can be brought to remote or otherwise isolated educational facilities. Students from diverse communities and backgrounds can come together to learn about one another, although language barriers will continue to persist. Such students are able to explore, communicate, analyze and share information and ideas with one another. Through videoconferencing, students can visit other parts of the world to speak with their peers, and visit museums and educational facilities. Such virtual field trips can provide enriched learning opportunities to students, especially those in geographically isolated locations, and to the economically disadvantaged. Small schools can use these technologies to pool resources and provide courses, such as in foreign languages, which could not otherwise be offered.

A few examples of benefits that videoconferencing can provide in campus environments include:

1. faculty members keeping in touch with classes while attending conferences;
2. guest lecturers brought in classes from other institutions;
3. researchers collaborating with colleagues at other institutions on a regular basis without loss of time due to travel;
4. schools with multiple campuses collaborating and sharing professors;
5. schools from two separate nations engaging in cross-cultural exchanges;
6. faculty members participating in thesis defenses at other institutions;
7. administrators on tight schedules collaborating on budget preparation from different parts of campus;
8. faculty committee auditioning scholarship candidates;
9. researchers answering questions about grant proposals from agencies or review committees;
10. student interviews with an employers in other cities, 
11.  teleseminars.

What are the two main approaches in educational research ?

There are two main approaches in educational research. The first is a basic approach. This approach is also referred to as an academic research approach.The second approach is applied research  or a contract research approach. Both of these approaches have different purposes which influence the nature of the respective research.

Basic approach

Basic, or academic research focuses on the search for truth or the development of educational theory. Researchers with this background “design studies that can test, refine, modify, or develop theories”.Generally, these researchers are affiliated with an academic institution and are performing this research as part of their graduate or doctoral work.

Applied approach

The pursuit of information that can be directly applied to practice is aptly known as applied or contractual research.Researchers in this field are trying to find solutions to existing educational problems. The approach is much more utilitarian as it strives to find information that will directly influence practice.Applied researchers are commissioned by a sponsor and are responsible for addressing the needs presented by this employer. The goal of this research is “to determine the applicability of educational theory and principles by testing hypotheses within specific settings”

What is Educational research ?

Educational research refers to a variety of methods, in which individuals evaluate different aspects of education including: “student learning, teaching methods, teacher training, and classroom dynamics”.

Educational researchers have come to the consensus that educational research must be conducted in a rigorous and systematic way, although what this implies is often debated. There are a variety of disciplines which are each present to some degree in educational research. These include psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy. The overlap in disciplines creates a broad range from which methodology can be drawn. The findings of educational research also need to be interpreted within the context in which they were discovered as they may not be applicable in every time or place

What are the Characteristics educational research ?

Gary Anderson outlined ten aspects of educational research:

Educational research attempts to solve a problem.

• Research involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand sources or using existing data for a  new purpose.
• Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.
• Research demands accurate observation and description.
• Research generally employs carefully designed procedures and rigorous analysis.
• Research emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will help in        understanding, prediction and/or control.
• Research requires expertise—familiarity with the field; competence in methodology; technical skill in    collecting and analyzing the data.
• Research attempts to find an objective, unbiased solution to the problem and takes great pains to validate the procedures employed.
• Research is a deliberate and unhurried activity which is directional but often refines the problem or questions as the research progresses.
• Research is carefully recorded and reported to other persons interested in the problem.