Audiographic Teleconferencing Project: An Evaluation
Lastly. the use of audiographic teleconferencing can be improved through tighter communication and quality control. Do all the sites and the instructor have the same software? Is the equipment in working order? Have the disks been checked before they are sent out? Is the coordinator being given enough advanced notice to book the equipment? What is the most convenient time to schedule a presentation? Greater attention to these kinds of details will help reduce participants' frustration. (It must be pointed out. however. that audiographics equipment is heavily in demand in Alberta. making scheduling a problem, particularly when so many sites are involved. Bridging equipment is required for each additional "point" or site, adding to the complexity of scheduling.)
One factor affecting practicality is cost. Is audiographic teleconferencing cheaper than other methods? There is little conclusive research on this question. partly because of the age old problem of comparing apples and oranges. Other approaches. such as face- to-face instruction can be self-contained, whereas audiographic teleconferencing is not designed to be used alone. Further. it is unrealistic to compare the costs of face-to-face instruction - the preferred option of all interviewees -to audiographic teleconferencing because the effects are vastly different. Nevertheless, one study in Colorado did find that live instruction. where the instructor traveled to the remote site, was less costly than audiographics teleconferencing or three other electronic alternatives. (Caffarella et al.)- However. this comparison was based on compressing a semester into a few weeks.
Any attempt to compare different approaches must examine a number of costs and benefits. Operating. maintenance and capital costs are usually measurable. However, since the equipment and building were neither purchased nor are used exclusively for this Project. only a fraction of these costs could be considered. It is probably fair to say that the development costs of audiographics teleconferencing are high but the delivery costs are relatively low. The more the existing technology is used (as opposed to sitting idle). the cheaper each session becomes for the college. Other costs and benefits include access (to information, to resources and to other students). human resources, quality of outcomes. and environmental impact. However. a thorough analysis of costs would involve a separate study involving the measurement of outcomes.
Did the training modules meet learners' needs? All but one person agreed that they did, and that person agreed partially. Several interviewees made reference to having more visual material. Based on their now increased familiarity with the technology. the instructors are examining new ways to present their content in future. It may be appropriate to seek more input from tutor-learners and coordinators before developing a module. Having a chance to give input to the content, learners will feel more committed to it and the content is more likely to meet all needs.