Web Conferencing Tools

            Web conferencing tools can be used not only for businesses meeting, but for education as well.  When selecting a web conference tool as a resource in the classroom, features need to be considered to suit the needs of the teacher as well as the student.  Some features include whiteboards, screen sharing, video, audio, chat, and more based on which web conference tool is selected.  Also web conference tools would most benefit club advisors as well as sport coaches when meetings cannot happen due to unexpected circumstances.  Yugma has been my choice for web conference tool.  As an educator, I have created a rubric for assessing a web conference tool such as software choice, chat, screen sharing, and problems that occur. 

            A first criterion for assessing a web conference tool is software choice.  Is it web- based or software based?  If it is web based no software download is needed and is compatible with PC and Mac computers.  If it is software based then it will depend on the web conference tool if it is compatible with PC or Mac.  However, Yugma is compatible with both PC and Mac.  Also, Yugma is a software-based tool. 

            Next criterion for assessing a web conference tool is the feature chat.  Mostly all web conference tools have live chats.  There are options to public chat or private chat.  The private chat is available only to invited guest(s).  Yugma (Yugma, 2010, para.1) allows live chat.  When the invited guest chats it makes a beep sound that a chat text was sent.  Also as a facilitator you can see which guest logs in so you can chat with them as per scheduled meeting time.

            Another criterion for assessing a web conference tool is screen-sharing.  This allows your invited guest to see everything on your desktop.  It is very convenient because no download is needed to show a presentation on power point or a video.  In addition, as the facilitator, I can give my guest control over my desktop during screen sharing.  Yugma (Yugma, 2010, para.1) allows this screen-sharing feature.  I shared with my guest a power point titled Failure. 

            Last, few problems occur when using Yugma.  It has taken my guest about more than five minutes to download it causing it to overlap into my scheduled meeting.  Then another problem has occurred.  While in screen sharing mode, I presented a power point.  My guest has seen half the screen of my power point presentation.  My guest has concluded due to low Internet connection that these are the reasons as to why problems have occurred during the meeting. 

            In all, Yugma is a great web conference tool to use in the classroom.  Students can do presentation or take a quiz and test via Yugma.  This is one way education can go green.  Moreover, creating a rubric for assessing web conference tool is helpful when considering software choice, chat, and screen sharing.  If every educator brings in the use of web conference tool to the classroom, then it leads our students to be the twenty first century learners of the future.