Video Conferencing Scenarios in Education
From the College of Education Office of Information Technology

About video conferencing

1. Protocols and Connections
   • Internet II (very high speed Internetwork)
   • TCP/IP (Internet/Intranet Networking Protocol)
   • H.323 (Video Conferencing over Internet Standard)
   • ATM (fee based dedicated line)
   • ISDN (fee based dedicated lines)
2. Multi-point vs. point-to-point conferencing
3. Hardware considerations
4. Hybrid hardware limitations
5. Using multiple vendors

What type of video conferencing are you interested in?

1. Group video conferencing
2. Individual video conferencing and individual data sharing
3. Group video conferencing with group data sharing
4. Group video conferencing with individual data sharing
5. Using the Internet, wireless handheld devices, and multiple remote sites to collect data
6. Using wireless video and handheld devices for synchronous data collection
7. Streaming Video (one way communication)

What you need to to make it happen (in the works):

1. Group video conferencing:
2. Individual video conferencing and individual data sharing:
3. Group video conferencing with group data sharing:
4. Group video conferencing with individual data sharing:

New features to implement:

1. A single camera system that is actually made up of 5 or 6 cameras spread throughout the room which is either voice activated or uses a "push-to-view" switch so the picture being sent from the site can change from person to person or be merged into a picture grid-- before it is transmitted off site.  Possibly the teacher could be on screen at all times and students can appear in 1/4 size screens as the teacher chooses.  See Diagram here.
2. A TCP/IP software application that shows the teacher a list of students (whether local or remote) who are pressing the attention button (raising their hand). The teacher can select a student with the mouse and display them on screen or broadcast the students audio, data, chat, etc.
3. A database server that all students are connected to which can store and process data from all students and re-transmit it to all students-- perhaps via a web front end.
4. A separate monitor for (a) video and audio and (b) computer data seen by all students in all participating classrooms.  Student computer results can be quickly displayed for all students to see (both locally and remotely).

Misc Vendors:

Click here for vendors and specifications of various video conferencing items.

A CUSeeMe White Board from a recent conference test: