Audiographic Teleconferencing Project: An Evaluation
Only two coordinators were completely satisfied with the fit between the modules and the technology. One described the process as "a trade-off. This is not my first choice of how to get information but it's a fact of life." Another pointed to the potential of the technology. "It's logical for distances, cost effective, and an effective use of volunteer time." One of the dissatisfied respondents thought the same thing could have done in a conference call. Another said that the slowness and technical problems interfered greatly with learning and effectiveness. She could see no advantages to the technology other than "the thrill of knowing you were able to connect so many people over so many sites."
While acknowledging that face-to-face presentation is ideal, both instructors agree that the positive aspects of audiographics outweigh the negative. With this technology, people from "all over" can get together to do "a lot of things at greater distances than ever before." It enables people from remote areas to take courses they could not otherwise have taken, without having to travel great distances. Although computer mediated instruction is more effective, in places where fibre optics is not available, audiographics adds value to teleconferencing.
Is audiographic teleconferencing a practical way of providing training to tutor-learners in remote locations? When the findings are reviewed as a whole, there can be no question that the technology is not perfect. Coordinators, tutor-learners and instructors identified a litany of problems. Nor is it particularly easy to use: it is cumbersome and requires considerable training and practice to become proficient. The technology is not flexible; instructors have to adapt their style to it. Nevertheless, almost all stakeholders are generally satisfied with the technology, see its potential, and are willing to use it again. Eighty-six percent of those interviewed think the technology aids learning. Interviewees see a "trade-off" between being able to deliver a presentation simultaneously to a large number of people - who may not otherwise have a chance to communicate with each other - and having to deal with problems associated with basic, long distance technology. Even the doubters admitted to being willing to try it again, provided some of the problems can be addressed. Therefore, this section of the report looks some of the ways in which the technology can be improved.
While the most frequently mentioned technical "glitches" - sound quality and lost connections -probably cannot be remedied substantially, many of the other problems can. The most commonly offered solution is practice. Three quarters of the tutor- learners said that the technology became easier to use over time. The impression is that competency improved within a session or a module, but not necessarily between the modules. According to the evaluation forms, ease with the technology did not increase between October and January. However this is not surprising given that tutor-learners had only just begun using the technology in October, the change in instructors, and the time lapse between the two modules.