The Three Dubya's - Wimba, Webex and WiZiQ

Coming towards the end of a phase of Live Online Learning learning using Wimba Live Classroom. Thought i'd take some time to reflect on the Wimba application and compare it with my previous experiences with Webex (training room) and WiZiQ. These are just my initial comparisons, I intend to go into much more depth on these and other applications at a later time.

Good teaching, Great Passion and a Critical Eye

My great passion for live online learning started when i enrolled on the Synchronous Learning Expert Certificate run by insynctraining. I was taught by great teachers with a great philosophy on how learning online needs to be a participative active learning experience. This effects the way i look at the various web conferencing tools. I am looking very critically to see how best the various applications at our disposal incorporate tools to aid learning and how effective these tools are in facilitating technologically efficient, trouble and interference free learning. With each of the three tools that are the focus of this post i have been involved heavily in design, delivery and support of live online synchronous classes. For each web conferencing application at least 30 participants/students in total have partaken of at least one or more live online synchronous classes.

Example: Interaction during Live Online Webex Class

Note: technology should be like a good football (soccer) referee i.e you don't notice it/them

Context

I have an interest in looking at the most effective tool for teaching and learning but also the most appropriate for integration into a higher education institutional setup, where external services may not be an appropriate solution.

• Webex: Agreed a year long trial with Webex at their standard business rates for just a one user licence. A personalised DMU Webex site was created with full admin facilities including the setting up of automatic email reminders and integration with Microsoft Outlook. Can be integrated to Blackboard VLE, but was not for this trial.
• Wimba: Wimba are a company that look to agree institutional wide solutions which would involve integration with Blackboard VLE. Agreed a year long trial with a personalised Wimba website. Admin facilities existed but no automatic email reminders and integration with Microsoft Outlook. The Wimba trial was a stans alone classroom outside of Blackboard.
• WizIq: Free service available to individual teachers. Teachers can sign up to the service and start delivering live online classes. Participant/students need also to sign up and get account before they can participate in any live online classes. For a monthly fee more services can be added.

Logging on to a live Online Classroom

• Webex was by far the least problematic. An email link is created for each session and a listing is available from your main personalised webex site. Most participants could logon satisfactorily.
• Wiziq - unfortunately our students had major problems logging into this service. Most problems seemed to occur when clicking a class invitation link, users also often seemed to go around in circles trying to log back in after changing passwords. After a lot of irritating unnecessary time and effort (for myself and other colleagues), students eventually got sorted out and it was ok after a while. Do not know the exact nature of the problem, but something was not quite right and this experience was a big driver to look for other solutions.
• Wimba also gave our students lots of logging on problems. Although there is a setup wizard which is a good thing, If there was a problem it was not always clear how to rectify the problem. Different browsers seem to react in different ways during the setup wizard causing various problems.

VOIP Audio Quality

One of the essential features in the live online classroom is the VOIP audio quality, without good quality and reliability the whole exercise becomes pointless. I am pleased to say that all three applications provided a generally good service (although not as good as Skype) . When i first started using Webex, we logged on using an integrated telephone landline (the quality is much better, but will cost extra), which i believe is also available in Wimba. Use of VOIP also costs extra in Webex, but not in Wimba or Wiziq. There are occasionally microphone connection issues for participants which seemed to be most problematic for webex users, but after some effort most people got sorted out ok.

Whiteboard Tools and Feedback Tools

Another important issue is control and access to tools, especially the whiteboard tools. Using the whiteboard to gather opinions or for drawing exercises is a very useful way to promote interaction in a live online class. The Webex environment is top class in that a pointer tool associated with a participant/student is automatically available and can be used to grab screen space, thus easily identifying participant contributions. Importantly the presenter does not have to give the participant presenter rights, which would enable participants to have the potential of clicking on slides and moving the class off in an uncontrolled direction not of the presenters choosing. Also participants can individually erase their own contributions to the whiteboard.

Unfortunately in the Wimba environment participants if given whiteboard control both these things can occur, but i think it probably stems from different views on how these applications should work. The Webex way allows for great group interaction and collaboration, ideal for active participatory learning. I get the feeling that the wimba environment is fundamentally based on the old teacher as presenter philosophy, which is disappointing. I was very involved in the initial design and logging on process for the Wiziq sessions and for a number of reasons extensive use of the whiteboard was ruled out, so i have not worked with it as much as the other two products. It does not include the pointer tool, but the whiteboard tools works adequately and i think there is enough scope to instigate the interactive group work that i described for Webex. - (i have just taken another look - i need to revisit and check more thoroughly - it's looking good). Webex and Wimba both had the appropriate feedback icons the most important of which is yes/no, rasied hand and emoticon icons. WizIq had a raised hand only and with no yes/no icons this is a definite dissapointment in this environment, as they are vital when checking understanding of instructions as well as topic understanding.

General Environmental Look and Feel

• Webex by far has the most appealing look and feel for participnats and is easy to work with for teachers.
• Wimba also scores strongly on ease of use for teachers. Probably the most easy to use for teachers - With an easy uploading and organisation of files to be used in the lesson - a presenters panel that allows easy navigation from slide to slide, easy to move students to breakout rooms and easy to setup polls.
• WiziQ is probably the most clunky looking and does not have the feel of an integrated classroom like the other two applications. Good for free though. Once you start paying then maybe need to compare with many of the other individual monthly web conferencing services that are out there.

Recordings

Need to review this information but my experience was as follows:

• Webex: Can download and edit in special editor. Can save files locally or on the webex server. local files initially captured the whole feel of the class - so interactions were an exact copy of what went on in the class. When saving on server this different method did not give exactly the same interactions i.e participant panel was not listed as normal but was accessible. need a webex player to view. Was not easy at the time to then get the recorded file into an mp4 for easy viewing outside of the player, but did manage it.
• Wimba: can view directly by linking to a server and can apparently will soon be available as an mp4 file. When downloading a zip file archive of a recording it is not obvious that a media file can be played.
• WizIq: access to online recordings, but expire after a month which is not that great and is an obvious inducement to sign up for the monthly fee service where recordings can be downloaded - have not tried the service.

Support

• Webex: support was excellent - if need technical support live during a class got it straight away
• Wimba: Not quite as hot, seem more keen for participants to check faq's and other info before engaging directly with the participants on the phone.
• WiziQ: Did not really engage with anyone on the phone during our troubles logging on - may have swapped some emails, but i have no strong memory of great additional support (it has been a while now)

A Word about Video Conferencing

Video conferencing i think for some in this industry may be tremendously important. I think more so if they are still in the mindset of the lecturer presenting and the students passively taking it all in. That is why the video conferencing element of these applications has no great appeal to me. Because my main focus is promoting interaction between participants i do not use it that much (i am sure there is a time and place for me to use it). To me it is an extra technological problem and due to the nature of interactive sessions there is a lot going on for the presenter, especially if dealing with technological problems of other students, grabbing a cup of tea at an appropriate break in proceedings :-) or generally feeling flustered if something is going wrong then presenting via webcam adds additional pressure to a job that already requires a high degree of concentration (very rewarding though)

A Word about other Web Conferencing Applications

Two other applications that i have experimented with in the past but not to a great extent are Elluminate and Adobe Connect Pro. Both i believe are worth taking a look at and i shall review them again in the forthcoming year. Elluminate is popular in education circles. I favoured Webex over Elluminate when looking at theses products over a year ago. I prefer the Webex interface and the visual appeal of the learning environment and at the time i wanted to have as many simultaneous VOIP connections open at the same time (webex allows 7 and Elluminate 5 (at the time of testing)).

This is important to me as spontaneity of response makes for a more stimulating class, so i have always liked everyone to have immediate access to speak without passing a microphone and thus making the technology invisible. This stems from my early insynch training with everybody on the phone you could hear the hubble bubble excitement in the classroom - it was great. With VOIP bandwidth limitations and the teacher as presenter mentality i have learnt that i sometimes have to compromise and stick with systems that will only allow restricted numbers of people to use voice at the same time. Adobe Connect pro is definitely one of the slickest looking products. I discarded it a couple of years ago due to a particularly bad VOIP experience and the whiteboard control problems that i refereed to earlier. I think it is worth revisiting now, a few years down the line.

Summary

I think the most problems i have encountered have been with initial logging on problems. This is a nuisance as students often may be afraid of technology and do not need additional hurdles put in their way. I have learnt that, although it is time i did not expect to have to allocate, that in a higher eduction setting, it is best to be very proactive in helping students get their logon problems sorted our before they come to their first online class.

All these applications have a lot to offer, but both Wimba and WizIQ have made myself and colleagues work a lot harder than we expected to ensure participant/student access. For less determined teachers and students and for time challenged teachers/students this is going to lead to major disillusionment. Both applications are worth taking a look at though. Once any initial logging on difficulties are overcome they both have their selling points and it will become a case of deciding if it suits your needs and the price is right then it might be for you.

Webex is definitely the pick of the bunch but is primarily aimed at the business market. I think they are missing a massive trick by not developing a distinct educational pricing model. For higher education we need stable, trouble free web conferencing environments and webex does fit the bill save for this lack of creative thinking with regard to educational establishments. I suggest they take a leaf out of Google's book who have just joined forces with my own university DMU to provide a student email service in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The Way Forward

It is only through trial (and tribulation) that we can iron out any access issues with Wimba and Wiziq. By trialling and learning we can build a clear picture of advice to our students and take advantage of the learning environments that both these applications offer. Elluminate and Adobe Connect Pro are also products that are more than worth a further look. As i have said earlier, maybe you cannot get everything that you want and compromises may have to be made. So i shall continue to explore web conferencing applications and try and establish the best balance between functionality, technological invisibility, the needs of the institution or the individual teacher and of course the price.

Camtasia is King and Live Online Learning is the thing

Enjoying Distance Learning

Yes the thing – the thing to bring some emotion and enjoyment to the business of distance learning. Live online learning not only connects people, but is also a powerful aid to learning. How so! Using web conferencing software a teacher/facilitator has a vast array of tools to promote active learning and whether that be face to face or online at a distance there is a vast array of literature that extols the virtues of active learning. What tools say thee! Ok we have voice and video conferencing, text chat, whiteboard text and drawing tools, feedback icons such as 'yes', 'no' and raised hand (to ask a question), web browser sharing, quizzes and polls, file transfers and on the fly uploading of resources.

from a previous study (Mackenzie 2008)

Now with some investment in time to understand how best to use the technology for teaching and learning, you'll soon see how you can transform the hum drum educational experience of the distance learner.

Some Initial Reactions

I write these notes after completing an initial round of live online inductions using Wimba Live Classroom with my colleague Mellissa Phillips on the topic of myDmu and Blackboard, the main online learning services of my university DMU. These first set of month long inductions were not without some initial logging on difficulties which was disappointing as we were desperate to avoid irritating logging on problems. However for those postgraduate students that did logon and participate it appeared to be a welcome and enjoyable experience. Some brief comments (all positive) from those that attended included:

“Very interesting session, i am amazed by what technology is available and i think it will be a very good way of learning and communicating during the remainder of the course.”

“I thought the use of live on line tech was very good and there were no problems. Would like to see it used in discussion boards etc if poss”

Some Broad Lesson Learnt

Some good comments appreciating the value of this form of learning, but we still have work to do to improve this particular live online learning experience. The lessons we are learning are:

1. We have to keep working very hard to change the mindset of the vast majority of programme leaders and students who are unaware of the power of voice technology in distance learning. We hope at the end of this month long series of inductions to have gathered a body of evidence to support the value of this mode of learning and try gradually to move thinking and expectations on in this area.
2. Due to the struggle to get participants live online we are cramming too much into their first live online learning experience. We end up giving them a crash course on how to work in the new environment and then proceed to give the myDMU and Blackboard induction. Currently thinking this should be split due to the need to iron out initial technology problems that some students have.
3. You have to work hard to understand how each particular live online learning environment works. By this I mean that there are a vast array of web conferencing services to use, each one is setup differently - you have to understand how you can smoothly integrate the technology into your teaching aims. Big Big tip – to fully appreciate this whilst developing you should log in on two machines – one as admin/presenter and the other as participant. You can then see the effects of your intended interactions from the participant viewpoint (allowing you to shape and refine your approach).

The Technology Used

Knowing that this was for most students this was their first experience of this type of learning we restricted our use of technology to:

1. Voice conferencing
2. Text chatting
3. Web browser demonstrations
4. Links to web pages that held pre-recorded Camtasia video screencasts.
5. The students also completed some self study tasks during the class.

A Word on Participant Interaction

With regard to the level of participant interaction and use of the technology available on a scale of 1 to 5 I’d rate this just over three. With increased student familiarity and appreciation of the live online environment we can edge this more to 5 when devising classroom activities and interactions in the future.

Headline Grabbing Camtasia



Mentioned as a headline grabber Camtasia is undoubtedly King in the world of e-learning tools. This easy to use moving screen capture software, with brilliant automatic zoom focus technology is a must for any lecturer who spends hours and hours grabbing screenshots for the production of module guides. The video quality is excellent and once saved the source material can be produced in a variety of formats for use in a variety of situations. i.e. web, iPod, DVD. Educational versions can be picked up for £134and in my opinion should be subject to a site licence for any serious learning organization.

More on explanation and discussion on Camtasia and live online learning will follow soon in up and coming blog posts. Look out for them.

Shut your mouth: Nasal Breathing is a snorting good choice

In Praise of Bikram Yoga

Having completed around twenty sessions of Bikram Yoga, what i love about this from of yoga is the solid, know where you stand, never to be changed, carefully thought out structure of twenty six postures (and two breathing :-)) exercises. From this solid base in my opinion those that are interested in self improvement and development will be challenged to look further outside of the class, to find answers to the many questions that practicing this yoga brings.

My Struggle to Breath (correctly)

One such question for me was centered around the correct way of breathing. Not sure when it happened but in between reading and practicing i have had a Clickadoodledastic (eureka) moment, which is the realisation that nasal breathing (both in and out) is indeed a mysterious secret, rarely spoken of in mainstream life, which isin fact the key to improved physical well being and hence life and should therefore be broadcast load and clear..

Now i don't know if it's just me or whether i am slow on the uptake but i have purchased pilates CD's, attended pilates classes, have purchased a manual from the enlightening http://breathing.com and have generally been aware that getting to the bottom of correct breathing would be a very useful life enhancing thing to do. I have never been happy that i have cracked it despite meddling with different strategies over the last 2-3 years. My main thinking was that i needed to improve how my diaphragm works, which included exhaling much longer and more forcefully to empty my lungs of stale air. The focus was always on exhaling through the mouth and eventually getting a deep inhale through the nose. I felt this worked reasonably well for me when running and as part of my breathing recovery between sets of not quite 50 meter interval sprints when swimming (40 seconds sprint, 80 seconds recovery * 6).

Clickadoodledastic

My initial clickadoodledastic (might have been clickadicious as well) moment would have straddled the period from Thursday 23 April to Saturday 25 April. Earlier in the week my new found interest in yoga had naturally found its way into the consciousness of my work colleagues and on the back of this, one of my colleagues lent me a book on the principles behind Hatha Yoga, which is the yoga that underpins Bikram Yoga. In this book i read the unequivocal statement that made it plain that the best and most natural way to breath is in and out through the nose. Here is my paraphrased simple statement:

You and me were born to breath in and out through our noses. Our mouths are made for eating. Breathing in and out through the mouth is an emergency response to a distressing situation. Unfortunately because of the development of bad habits, most people have forgotten or are unaware of how to breathe correctly.

Following on from the reading of this book 'Hatha Yoga: The Yogi Philosophy Of Physical Well-Being' (for more information see http://www.metta.org.uk/public/) on the Friday i grasped a quick chat with Libby the owner/teacher at Leicester Bikram Yoga (where i practice), who confirmed that nasal breathing (in and out) is the way to go during the bikram yoga sessions and in general including sporting situations like running. She also alluded to the fact that it helps with the flight/fight phenomenon to keep you more relaxed in stressful situations. I probably made a mental note that i need to investigate that one further and i have (but more of that later). The other question i still need to address is the use and purpose of mouth exhales in the two bikram yoga breathing exercises, as well as other hatha yoga breathing techniques.

Putting knowledge into practice

Life

So from the excellent book mentioned above and some confirmation from the owner/teacher of my bikram yoga center i proceeded on the way home on the train to breathe solely in and out through the nose. Points to note were:

1. I did not inhale or exhale deeply, just gently

2. Their came a point after a short while where after breathing in i desperately felt the need to breathe out from my mouth as i did not seem to have the ability to breathe out through my nose (it was as though i had too much air to exhale and my nose could just not cope quickly enough with the need to exhale). I did somehow suppress the urge to exhale through my mouth and still managed to breathe in and out through my nose.

3. Eventually the pay off came by way off an absolutely wonderful chest expanding inhalation of my lungs from a nasal inhale which felt very satisfying and did indeed feel as though it was a deep breadth.

4. these deep inhales followed fairly frequently. Much quicker than any other technique i had tried in the past.

5. There are many benefits, but the major point is that you are getting more oxygen into your system and oxygen is life.

I do this anywhere i can now, when i remember. Also I breathe like this when going off to sleep. Hopefully i am not breathing with my mouth open in my sleep..

Running

I followed this up on the Saturday morning with an hour long easy jog, where my aim was to breathe through my nose (in and out) for the duration of the session. Points to note were:

1. Initially (first 10-15 mins) breathing was a bit awkward, but doable - quite a number of natural deep inhales occurred just when i needed them.

2. After 15 mins started to have great difficulty breathing in through the nose, just felt blocked up (narrow passageways). Snot was accruing and my main technique to help clear my nasal passageways was to blow my nose into my shirt as i exhaled, this seemed to help, although shirt not too pleasant :-)

3. I did sneak in about 4 or 5 mouth breaths in, which was not too bad.

4. subsequently i have found that if i am struggling with the inhale, i just start exhaling vigorously through one nostril only (the other blocked closed with my finger) and alternate this exhaling on left and right nostrils until a natural inclination for a deep inhale occurs. (this seemed to work effectively)

There's more, There's more

After another shorter run or two, where i was still unsure if this was the right path to go down, i came across this excellent blog post The Importance of Nasal Breathing and this has given me extra conviction to pursue a nasal breathing policy (in and out) whilst doing sporting activities, such as running or weight training. Prior to reading the blog i had also completed a set of chin ups where by working to the rhythm of my breathing i pulled up on my nose inhale and lowered on my exhale. This felt very good. I felt that i was using the energy of my breath most effectively. With all my exercise now i am going to work to the rythm of my nasal breathing and i am hoping in the long term that a return to the natural way of breathing will bring about significant improvements in my overall fitness and conditioning. I have seen (felt) enough from my initial experiences to have confidence that significant improvements will be made. Getting back to the blog post the main messages were:

1. Confirmation that we are made to breath through our nose

2. Breathing through the mouth encourages the flight/fight response, which produces "adrenaline and cortisol which are both degenerative hormones. They contain waste products called free radicals, which are believed to be the leading cause of aging, cancer, disease and death. In addition, the body responds to this stress by Storing Fat and burning sugar. So if we can train our body to handle more stress without responding to it as an emergency (via nasal breathing), we’ll have taken a huge step in the fight against fat, aging and disease." (that's some motivation to breathe through the nose :-))

3. "Breathing through the nose stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which calms the mind and rejuvenates the body" (I have felt this calming effect when i was running.)

4. "Due to the need for longer, deeper breaths, one of the inherent results of nasal breathing is a slower breath rate. There is a direct correlation between breath rate and heart rate so that a slower breath rate will entrain a slower heart rate.... The end result being that during a race, you’d have more in your energy reserves to out-run your competitors!"

Footnote
Have just completed a 45 minute spinning session using nasal breathing. It went well and i was not in control of the changes in pace, but coped ok with a few one nostril exhales. The amazing thing was when jogging back to work, without thinking about it i just used nasal breathing all the way back (5 minutes).

Bikram Yoga and the 'Locked Knee'

Having just completed my ninth bikram yoga session, i'd like you to note that these are the initial thoughts of an inexperienced beginner. I have instantly developed a good vibe about this form of vigorous mental and physical (torture -:)) exercise. What we are being told just seems naturally right - i am a believer. I might be a believer, i have the faith, but that does not mean that i am not unquestioning or that i fully understand why i am doing what i am being told to do. I want to fully appreciate the philosophy and reasoning behind the postures as i believe it will make me a better practitioner (yoga, elearning and life).

A key feature of many of the bikram yoga postures (poses) is the locking of the knee (lock the knee, lock the knee, lock the knee :-)). I like the direct forceful manner in which this instruction is confidently asserted by the instructors - there is a conviction in the instruction that they know that this is good for you. Whilst i have always stretched a lot, usually in a sporting context and have always gone for a straight leg, no information prior to my bikram yoga sessions has emphasised the importance of 'locked knee' and flexed foot where appropriate.

An excellent summary of what the locked knee does for you can be found here at http://hubpages.com/hub/bikram-yoga-lock-the-knee. An extract is included here:

"Rather than just straighten the leg in the standing poses, actively engage your quadriceps muscles
and you will never have sore knees, your walk will feel lighter, you will be preventing any future issues - and as a side-benefit, your hamstrings will gain more flexibility and lengthen more easily, which is a boon for many of us with tight hamstrings from sitting at desks all day or from sporting activities!" (hub pages, Roger One - retrieved 11 April 2009)

An article that seems to talk contradictory to this view, but comes across as an authoritative piece is Yoga And Preventing Knee Locks - at http://www.myyogaonline.com/yoga_article_120_Yoga_and_Preventing_Knee_Locks.html

"The ‘knee lock’ presents some useful function and purpose in allowing one to stand without using the quadriceps to hold the legs in a straight position. This creates an energy-efficient mechanism that allows you to maintain the knee in extension over prolonged periods of standing without requiring muscular contraction." (My Yoga Online - retrieved 11 April 2009)

I tend to take the former view that actively engaging your muscles is the right way to go and am wondering whether i have not quite understood the second view as i find it difficult to believe that there could be such a contradiction. Another quote from My Yoga Online that i have mixed views on is:

"The purpose of Yoga poses is to generate physical vitality so one can proceed through life with positive energy flow and with a holistic connection to what brings balance and harmony. Standing Yoga poses offer these benefits when mindfulness and proper intention is applied. Without mindfulness, some standing Yoga poses present a tendency towards knee locks and hyperextension, which can produce chronic problems in the function and health of the knee joint." (My Yoga Online - retrieved 11 April 2009)

I like the idea of mindfulness in that the 'locked knee' is executed with mindfulness and that the knee is not hyperextended. on the other hand this comment still gives the impression that 'locked knee' can lead to injury, which may be the case with hyperextension, but i do not believe this wouLd be the case with a correctly performed 'locked knee'.

Linked into the concept of 'locked knee' is the flexing of the toes. on this point I'd like to say that many of the relevant yoga postures can be performed without flexing and 'locking of the knee', which is an attractive proposition for beginners because it is the easy option. in my opinion new yogis :-) need to build themselves up mentally and physically by working towards a 'locked knee' position and flexing where relevant. The value of flexing is reinforced for me by the comments of Andy Baran in his book 'Gymnastic abs' - where his advice to students is "its; not just the exercises. it's how you do them" and his specific general advice (if that is not a contradictionj in terms :-) is

"Flex everyone of your muscles, not just your abs. I said before but it bears repeating. When you flex all your muscles you are creating connection between all your muscles. The ability to focus on every muscle of your body while you flex them will create that connection and make you incredibly strong." (Andy Baran 2007, Gymnastic Abs, p.7)

For those of you interested there are quite a number of Bikram Yoga centers in London and three outside Leicester, Manchester and Brighton. As i understand it there are centers at various locations throught USA and Europe, but do not have exact details. To now more about Bikram yoga here are a some links:

http://www.bikramyogaleicester.co.uk/
http://www.bikramyoga.com/
http://www.bikramyoga.co.uk/home.html

and finally the issue of maintaining good hydration is covered well in this article:
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/hot-yoga-facts.htm

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