Web-conferencing is becoming more common in higher education and workplace-based training programmes, as more and more institutions get access to broadband internet access. These tools can be used to more or less replicate a good face-to-face tutorial.

In a web-conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer, with a headset and possibly also a webcam. All participants can hear (and possibly see live video images of) the other individuals in the meeting.

Some commonly used commercial web-conferencing software programmes are Elluminate, Adobe Connect and Wimba. There are also a number of free web-conferencing options such as DimDim, FlashMeeting and WiZiQ. Most of these programmes allow you to almost recreate the feeling of sitting in a room together, and this can really energise the learning process for the whole group.

There is usually a shared 'whiteboard' that appears in the middle of one's computer screen, on which participants can write, or to which presentations can be uploaded. It is usually also possible for individuals to share items from their computer desktops with one another.

Some of these programmes allow for small groups to go into virtual 'breakaway rooms' and have private discussions. Whilst these tools provide for much more dynamic interactions than were ever imaginable for distance learners before, they require a relatively high level of technical sophistication (broadband is more or less essential in most cases) and also require a skilled facilitator.

The same principles of facilitation apply in a web-conferencing context as in a face-to-face meeting: you need to ask questions, listen carefully to what participants say and paraphrase their comments if you need clarification of the points they are trying to make, summarise key points regularly, and keep the discussion on track. Managing these tasks while also focusing on the content of the lesson can be challenging at the best of times, but even more when you are leading a discussion amongst a group of people who are dispersed in various locations around the world!

Here are some tried and tested methods for getting the best out of your web-conferences with your learners:

• If you are having doubts about using web-conferencing, don’t underestimate the power for your learners of hearing each other’s voices, sharing their thoughts in real time, and feeling that they are part of a real community. Whatever might go wrong in a session, participants almost invariably come away afterwards feeling excited about their learning. Web-conferencing technology is probably the most effective way to bring the human touch into a distance learning programme.

• Ensure that you are totally familiar with the technology involved in your web-conferencing system before you run your first live group session. You should, at the very least, be able to explain to learners how to turn the microphone on/off, send IM text messages to the whole group or to individual participants, put their hands up to indicate they want to speak, and alter the view/resize the windows if they need to. If you are not familiar with your institution’s web-conferencing software, we strongly recommend that you have a few practice sessions with your colleagues before running a tutorial online.

• Upload any presentation material onto the whiteboard before the session starts. This will save time in the actual session.

• Open the virtual meeting room an hour before the session starts, and make sure that learners know they can come in and test the audio, etc. during that time. Learners who arrive early can chat informally to one another, just as they would around the coffee urn in a real room.

• At the beginning of every session, make sure all your learners know how to type in the chat box, speak into the microphone, operate their video (if applicable), put their hands up and down, and write on the whiteboard. This may take time, but it will make the whole process flow more smoothly, and there will be less likelihood of things going wrong during the session if you do this. It is a good idea to do this at the start of every session, even if most of the learners have participated in a web-conferencing session before.

• A great icebreaker is to start with a map of the world/ country on the whiteboard, and ask your learners to write their names on the map indicating where they are located.

• A very effective strategy in ensuring that a web-conferencing session goes smoothly is to co-facilitate the session – either with another tutor, or with a learner who is technically savvy and confident about using the tools. That way, your co-facilitator can look out for participants who seem to be struggling, and help them. If your system allows for virtual breakaway rooms, you can have a dedicated breakaway room for anyone who is struggling with the technology, and the co-facilitator can talk to those participants about their technical problems without disturbing the whole class.

• Lecturing in a web-conferencing session is the fastest way to lose your participants. Listening to a single voice for long periods can be extremely monotonous and tiring. If you want your learners to listen to a lecture, upload a podcast for them to listen to before the session. Then use the time in-session to get learners interacting as much as possible.

• Be prepared for technical hitches, such as participants 'dropping out' from time to time. While most of the commonly used web-conferencing tools are much more robust and stable than they used to be, it is still common for individuals to lose the connection – sometimes more than once during a session. Do not be put off by this. Just acknowledge learners when they return. (E.g. 'Hi Sipho, I see you are back! Sorry we lost you for a few moments there. What we were talking about while you were gone was...') In this way, learners will know that it is not a big deal if they lose the connection briefly, and they will not panic if it happens to them. (This is also why it is a good idea to have a co-facilitator: if you lose the connection, your co-facilitator can take over!)

• Most importantly, relax and let the session unfold as naturally as possible. If you are at ease and have a sense of humour about anything that goes wrong, learners will relax more quickly too, and everyone will be able to concentrate on the precious opportunity they have to work together.

 Reflection

1. What do you think are the main differences between the tutor’s role in face-to-face sessions and online sessions?

2. Some people think of online communication as a poor substitute for face-to-face meetings. However, others see online learning as having many benefits. Read what three learners have to say about their experience of online learning:

Paul: 'I love learning online. The learning is somehow deeper. I think it’s because we communicate a lot in writing, and I find I think really carefully before writing my thoughts for the other students to see. Much more so than if we were just talking all the time. Also, there’s always a permanent record of our learning available for us to review. Even our web-conferencing discussions are recorded so we can listen to them again. I find this really helpful.'

Fatima: 'I feel shy in a classroom with a group of other students, but when we are communicating online, I don’t feel shy at all. I find I participate much more actively in online sessions than I would in a face-to-face setting. Perhaps it’s because I feel sort of anonymous when I’m online, and for a shy person like me, that’s a good thing!'

Thandeka: 'What I like about learning online is that it gives me the opportunity to meet people I would never normally meet. You know, I live in this little dorp where it’s hard to find a lot of people who share my interests. But as soon as I get online I am suddenly talking to people all over the continent, and even though they come from completely different backgrounds from me, they share my interest in the stuff we are learning. I’ve even made friends with a few of the people on my previous courses and am still e-mailing them, long after the courses ended! That is so amazing!'

Do you think any of your learners might feel the same way about the benefits of online learning? Do you think there are any other positive aspects that they may be aware of? Can you think of any from your own experience as an online learner?