Evaluation for the DfES video conferencing in the classroom ...

Evaluation for the DfES
Video Conferencing in the
Classroom project

Final Report

University of Leicester, School of Education
University of Cambridge

May 2004

Becta | Evaluation for the DfES video conferencing in the classroom project

Acknowledgements

The members of the evaluation team would like to express their gratitude for the help and
support of everyone involved in the project. Particular thanks go to the staff and pupils from all
of the participating schools for the generous giving of their time and co-operation throughout
the study. We would also like to thank colleagues at the School of Education, University of
Leicester for their support and guidance, and members of DfES Project Board for their
comments and advice during the evaluation.

Thanks are also given for the support, advice and guidance provided by colleagues working
on the DfES video conferencing in the classroom project (www.global-leap.com): Mike Griffith,
Project Manager, Tim Arnold, Project Consultant and Adviser for Devon Curriculum Services,
Mary Wormington, International Officer, Gloucester LEA.

May 2004 http://www.becta.org.uk page 2 of 104


CONTENTS

Section 1..........................................................................................................................................6
Executive summary ........................................................................................................................6
1 Background ............................................................................................................................6
1.1 The DfES video conferencing in the classroom project/www.global-leap.com...............6
1.2 The evaluation.................................................................................................................6
1.2.1 Aims ............................................................................................................................6
1.2.2 Evaluation framework .................................................................................................7
1.2.3 Sample and methods ..................................................................................................7
1.3 Main findings ...................................................................................................................8
1.3.1 Baseline survey...........................................................................................................8
1.3.2 Models of video conferencing use ..............................................................................8
1.3.3 The impact of video conferencing...............................................................................8
1.3.4 Strategic issues...........................................................................................................9
1.3.5 Affordances and barriers to video conferencing use ..................................................9
1.3.6 The impact of technical factors ...................................................................................9
1.4 Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................................9
1.4.1 Conclusions ................................................................................................................9
1.4.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 10

Section 2....................................................................................................................................... 12
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 12
2 Background: Research on educational uses of video conferencing ............................ 12
2.1 The DfES video conferencing in the classroom project/www.global-leap.com............ 13
2.1.1 Context..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1.2 The project ............................................................................................................... 13
2.1.3 Educational activities ............................................................................................... 13
2.1.4 Support..................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 The evaluation.............................................................................................................. 14
2.2.1 Aims of the evaluation.............................................................................................. 14
2.2.2 Evaluation framework .............................................................................................. 14
2.3 Sample and methods ................................................................................................... 16
2.4 The research team ....................................................................................................... 17
2.5 The DfES video conferencing in the classroom project/www.global-leap.com team... 17

Section 3....................................................................................................................................... 18
Baseline survey: Sample characteristics.................................................................................. 18
3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 18
3.1 Geographical spread .................................................................................................... 18
3.2 Number of teachers and pupils .................................................................................... 18
3.3 Pupil characteristics ..................................................................................................... 19
3.4 Level and distribution of ICT resources........................................................................ 19
3.5 Connectivity.................................................................................................................. 19
3.6 Video conferencing equipment..................................................................................... 19
3.6.1 Type of equipment ................................................................................................... 19
3.6.2 Siting of video conferencing equipment................................................................... 20
3.7 Viewing video conferences .......................................................................................... 20
3.8 Ancillary equipment and software ................................................................................ 20
3.9 Patterns of use ............................................................................................................. 20
3.9.1 Video conferencing experience ............................................................................... 20
3.9.2 Frequency of use ..................................................................................................... 20
3.10 Age range..................................................................................................................... 21
3.11 Nature of remote sites .................................................................................................. 21
3.11.1 UK links................................................................................................................ 21
3.11.2 International links................................................................................................. 21
3.12 Modes of use................................................................................................................ 22
3.12.1 Type of use .......................................................................................................... 22
3.12.2 Subject areas covered......................................................................................... 22



Section 4....................................................................................................................................... 23
Models of video conferencing use............................................................................................. 23
4 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 23
4.1 General approaches to educational video conferencing.............................................. 23
4.1.1 Familiarisation.......................................................................................................... 24
4.1.2 Substitution .............................................................................................................. 24
4.1.3 Enhancement........................................................................................................... 24
4.1.4 Adaptation................................................................................................................ 25
4.2 Refining the model: Contextual factors ........................................................................ 25
4.2.1 Structural factors...................................................................................................... 26
4.2.2 Organisational factors .............................................................................................. 27
4.2.3 Curricular factors...................................................................................................... 27
4.2.4 Technical factors...................................................................................................... 28
4.3 Summary: Ensuring an effective conference ............................................................... 28
4.3.1 Exemplars of good practice ..................................................................................... 29
Exemplar model 1: Substitution ............................................................................................ 29
Exemplar model 2: Enhancement......................................................................................... 32

Section 5....................................................................................................................................... 34
The Impact of video conferencing: Part 1 ................................................................................. 34
Enriching the learning experience............................................................................................. 34
5 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 34
5.1 Curriculum enhancement ............................................................................................. 34
5.2 Beyond the classroom walls......................................................................................... 35
5.3 Authentic learning experiences .................................................................................... 35
5.4 Access to experts ......................................................................................................... 36
5.5 Enhancing social and communication skills................................................................. 37
5.6 Student autonomy ........................................................................................................ 38
5.7 Raising cultural awareness .......................................................................................... 39
5.8 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 40

Section 6....................................................................................................................................... 42
The impact of video conferencing: Part 2 ................................................................................. 42
Attainment, motivation and behaviour ...................................................................................... 42
6 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 42
6.1 Learning and attainment .............................................................................................. 42
6.2 Motivation and attitudes ............................................................................................... 44
6.3 Behaviour ..................................................................................................................... 46
6.4 Sub-group differences .................................................................................................. 47
6.5 Teaching styles ............................................................................................................ 48
6.6 Phase differences......................................................................................................... 48
6.7 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 49

Section 7....................................................................................................................................... 50
Strategic issues ........................................................................................................................... 50
7 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 50
7.1 Integration .................................................................................................................... 50
7.2 Mainstreaming.............................................................................................................. 51
7.3 Sustainability ................................................................................................................ 52



Section 8....................................................................................................................................... 54
Affordances and barriers to video conferencing use .............................................................. 54
8 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 54
8.1 Affordances .................................................................................................................. 54
8.1.1 Enthusiasts .............................................................................................................. 55
8.1.2 Usability of technology ............................................................................................. 55
8.1.3 Financial benefits ..................................................................................................... 55
8.1.4 Senior management support ................................................................................... 56
8.1.5 Identifying links ........................................................................................................ 56
8.1.6 Expert support for selection and installation of equipment ...................................... 57
8.1.7 Expert support for ‘functional’ matters and training ................................................. 57
8.1.8 Curriculum support................................................................................................... 58
8.1.9 Video conferencing ‘etiquette’.................................................................................. 58
8.2 Barriers......................................................................................................................... 58
8.2.1 Costs of set-up and operation.................................................................................. 59
8.2.2 Resistance ............................................................................................................... 59
8.2.3 'Key personnel' syndrome........................................................................................ 61
8.2.4 Technical barriers .................................................................................................... 61
8.2.5 Child protection ........................................................................................................ 61
8.3 Specific factors determining the effectiveness of a video conference ......................... 61
8.3.1 Planning and organisation ....................................................................................... 61
8.3.2 Influence of far-end personnel ................................................................................. 62
8.3.3 Negotiating roles: Teachers ..................................................................................... 64
8.3.4 Recognising the needs of students.......................................................................... 65
8.4 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 65

Section 9....................................................................................................................................... 66
The impact of technical factors.................................................................................................. 66
9 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 66
9.1 Systems........................................................................................................................ 66
9.2 Connectivity and data speed........................................................................................ 66
9.3 Use of equipment ......................................................................................................... 67
9.4 Peripherals and additional technologies ...................................................................... 67
9.5 Technical failure ........................................................................................................... 69
9.6 Location of video conferencing equipment .................................................................. 69
9.7 Viewing systems........................................................................................................... 70
9.8 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 70

Glossary of terms and acronyms............................................................................................... 71

References ................................................................................................................................... 72

Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................................... 74
Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................................... 87
Appendix 3 ................................................................................................................................... 93
Appendix 4 ................................................................................................................................... 95
Appendix 5 ................................................................................................................................... 97
Appendix 6 ................................................................................................................................... 98
Appendix 7 ................................................................................................................................... 99
Appendix 8 ................................................................................................................................. 100
Appendix 9 ................................................................................................................................. 101
Appendix 10 ............................................................................................................................... 102
Appendix 11 ............................................................................................................................... 104



Section 1
Executive summary

1 Background

While there has been increased interest in the operation of video conferencing in mainstream
schooling over the past few years, the amount of research into its use has been relatively
sparse. Those studies which do exist indicate that a wide range of both social and educational
benefits accrue from the use of video conferencing in the classroom. In addition to the
benefits in terms of curriculum learning, studies point to the development of social and
communication skills and increased cultural awareness.

Through a consideration of the varying contexts in which video conferencing is employed in
schools and the factors which are associated with its effective use, the present evaluation
sets out to examine, in selected schools, the relationship between the use of video
conferencing technologies and their impact (both actual and potential) on pupils' attainment
and attitudes to school and on teachers' practices.

1.1 The DfES video conferencing in the classroom project/www.global-leap.com

The DfES Video conferencing in the Classroom Project/www.global-leap.com (hereafter
referred to as the Project) began in October 2001 and has enabled interested schools to use
video conferencing as a resource to enhance the curriculum. The Project covers each Key
Stage across all areas of the curriculum and works with special schools, hospital schools,
pupil referral units and other pupils who are otherwise isolated from mainstream education.

The Project team is involved in the exploration and testing of a wide range of technology,
guidance on the appropriate equipment, connectivity, equipment testing, the siting of facilities
and room layout. The Project also loans DfES equipment to museums and galleries and
works with education staff to present video conference lessons matched to National
Curriculum specifications in a range of subjects areas including science, art, history and
geography. These are arranged via the Global Leap website (www.global_leap.com) which
represents the central video conferencing resource for teachers in the UK. This has in turn
involved the regular support of the Project team in developing, improving and sustaining these
programmes.

1.2 The evaluation

1.2.1 Aims

The main aims of the evaluation were to:
• identify factors which had the most significant impacts on teaching, learning and
attainment

• identify mediating factors underpinning ‘success’ and the effective use of the
technology
• to make explicit the lessons learned and offer recommendations applicable to the
wider schools base on what practices should be promoted and avoided.



1.2.2 Evaluation framework

The evaluation investigated three main levels of activity:

Institutional level:
• the purchase, deployment and management of video conferencing resources
• the place of video conferencing within overall ICT development planning and
policy

Subject level:
• the nature and quality of teaching
• the nature and quality of learning
• teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil relationships

Individual level:
• the perceptions of individual teachers and learners on the relationship
between video conferencing and academic attainment
• the perceptions of individual teachers of the strengths, weaknesses and
implications of the use of video conferencing in different contexts
• the perceptions of pupils of the impact of using video conferencing in formal
learning situations on their understanding and engagement with learning
• where relevant, the perceptions of pupils of the impact of using video
conferencing in informal (eg, ‘off-/non-task’) interactions on their
understanding and engagement with learning.

1.2.3 Sample and methods

Sample
Twenty-eight schools were identified by the Project Team, drawn from a wide geographical
area, across all age phases and included special schools and learning centres. The schools
were roughly divided into three groups according to their length of experience with video
conferencing; Established, Intermediate and Entrance level. Four subjects – English,
geography, history and modern foreign languages - were identified as representing the
curriculum areas most commonly associated with video conferencing use in the selected
schools.

Research strategy
The main research strategy was composed of four inter-related strands:
• Strand 1: Review of the research literature on video conferencing.

• Strand 2: Baseline survey and ‘familiarisation visit’ to all schools. The visits involved
interviews with key personnel, observations of video conferencing activity and
opportunistic interviews with students who had used video conferencing.

• Strand 3: Case study work with twelve of the schools involved. This involved further visits
which involved observation of video conferences and pre- and post-conference teacher
and pupil interviews. Interviews with ‘far-end’ users were also conducted where feasible.

• Strand 4: Collection of electronic data from the non-case-study schools including
calendars of the video conferencing events and email ‘diaries’ from teachers and pupils.
Lead teachers in the case study schools were also targeted in a telephone ‘exit interview’
at the end of the evaluation.



1.3 Main findings

1.3.1 Baseline survey

• The types and make of video conferencing equipment in schools are wide, with ISDN
connection being the most common form of connectivity.

• A minority of the schools had dedicated suites for video conferencing, with most having
stand-alone mobile systems.

• The school with the longest experience of video conferencing reported an average of four
conferences per week.

• Reported usage covered a variety of modes of use with the most popular being outside
experts and small group to small group work.

1.3.2 Models of video conferencing use

• Four broad categories of video conferencing use can be identified: Familiarisation,
Substitution, Enhancement and Adaptation.

• Enhancement or value-added activities were the most common type of video
conferencing in the case study schools.

• Contextual factors, such as structural, organisational, curricular and technical aspects,
shape the patterns of usage of video conferencing.

• A distinction should be made between a successful conference (where everything goes to
plan) and an effective one (where learning objectives are met).

1.3.3 The impact of video conferencing

• While teachers were generally unable to offer statistical evidence for performance gains,
their judgements were that video conferencing impacted upon achievement positively.

• Teachers and students acknowledged powerful learning effects as a consequence of a
video conferencing session.

• Video conferencing is, in the main, highly motivating to students and improvements in
pupil behaviour occur during video conferencing sessions.

• Teachers had yet to explore the potential of video conferencing and how it might affect
the way that they taught.

• Video conferencing can support a shift to learner autonomy

• Students can access other cultures, both unfamiliar and those of their home communities,
enabling links and cultural identity to be formed and maintained

• Video conferencing can enable ‘authentic’ experience – students hear things from ‘the
horse’s mouth’ and can respond immediately with their own questions

• A ‘real’ audience means students take their participation seriously



1.3.4 Strategic issues

• The integration of video conferencing into programmes of study was at an early stage, but
was seen by management as essential for impacting on achievement.

• Some subjects seemed more amenable to a sustained use of video conferencing, but all
subjects could benefit.

• The spread of video conferencing into all curriculum areas needed a strong steer from
school development policies.

• The financial implications of a widespread use of video conferencing were large.

• Guidance was needed for schools on the optimum equipment at affordable prices.

• A national policy on video conferencing was needed to push forward the benefits.

1.3.5 Affordances and barriers to video conferencing use

• Most of the teachers found video conferencing technology to be relatively simple and
accessible.

• Compared to alternative means of communicating with others, video conferencing offered
an economical way of maintaining external links.

• Support from senior staff was seen as essential for successful implementation.

• Feelings of self-consciousness by staff and students can quickly be overcome through
careful briefing and preparation for video conferencing.

• Continuity of personnel involved is an important factor in maintaining developments in
video conferencing.

• While most systems were very robust, technical support is important in improving the
quality of the experience.

1.3.6 The impact of technical factors

• The degree of sophistication of the video conferencing systems used should matched to
the learning objectives of a given educational activity

• Video conferencing technologies were easy to learn and operate for most teachers

• Audio and sound quality were important for the video conferencing experience, but
relatively few difficulties were encountered with these factors

• While relatively little use was made of peripheral technologies, teachers recognised the
value they could bring to the experience

• Mobile or fixed facilities each had their particular advantages and disadvantages, with the
location of the ISDN line being a critical factor

1.4 Conclusions and recommendations

1.4.1 Conclusions

The study has provided clear evidence of the educational potential of video conferencing,
facilitating a broad range of personal, social and academic benefits for pupils. The study also



identified a number of factors which are associated with its effective use. These are brought
together in a ‘fitness for purpose’ framework designed to enable teachers and policy makers
(and indeed other researchers) to conceptualise the way in which video conferencing might
be deployed within a given curricular context.

1.4.2 Recommendations

National level

• Given the broad range of educational benefits of video conferencing demonstrated in this
evaluation, the DfES should consider developing a national policy for the spread of video
conferencing facilities in schools and colleges. This would include, inter alia:

− The establishment and dissemination of ideas and models of good practice
through a variety of strategies (eg, training initiatives, seminars/conferences,
publications, practitioner/school groups, online discussion forums and so on)

− A central directory service for contacts with experts, national institutions
(museums, government, business, etc) and with interested schools in the UK and
abroad.

− The development of mechanisms for funding the provision of high quality video
conferencing equipment and the connections to schools. This may be best
achieved as a staged process, beginning with those schools which demonstrate a
clear need/interest.

• The commissioning of further research into the educational potential of video
conferencing in schools. The foci of research projects might include:

− The examination of effective practice in schools where there is a sustained and
deep use of video conferencing for the delivery of a curriculum programme to
establish the specific factors contributing to raised academic attainment. The use
of innovative instruments to measure such impact is likely to be required. We
would point to the report, recently commissioned by Becta (Stevenson, 2003),
represents a potential starting point for this. The study explores new approaches
to the measurement of the ICT/attainment relationship.

− The commissioning of a longer-term strategy for research into video conferencing
to establish whether the motivational, behavioural and learning gains noted are
sustained in the medium term.

Local level

• LEAs should be geared to recommend or provide independent advice and support to
schools concerning purchase and installation of appropriate equipment. Standardised
system requirements could be explored by LEAs to enable schools to connect more
easily with one another.

• That, in order to facilitate this, appropriate support and/or professional development is
made available to those LEAs which are relatively inexperienced in this area. This may
include the setting up of inter-authority support networks.

School level

• That video conferencing should be embedded into school planning. A teaching and
learning focus in the school plan should demonstrate to other staff, parents and pupils
precisely where and how video conferencing is being used to enhance learning.



• Senior management in schools introducing video conferencing should demonstrate strong
support to give credibility of the medium to other staff and with parents.

• Schools need to provide a basic level of training to increase confidence as well as
demonstrate good practice and potential of video conferencing. Much of the training
focuses on how to use equipment and mediate a conference. These practical issues
should be augmented with a focus on teaching and learning issues.

• To alleviate potential parental resistance, they need to be given a clear explanation of the
video conferencing experience before their children engage in it.

• Teachers need to be aware of potential resistance to video conferencing from pupils and
have to be able to provide an environment and preparation that is encouraging and
sensitive to this.



Section 2
Introduction

2 Background: Research on educational uses of video conferencing

While there has been increased interest in video conferencing in mainstream schooling over
the past few years, research into its use has been relatively sparse, with most attention given
to data focussed on its use in commerce and higher education (see the revised literature
review associated with this evaluation [Appendix 1]).

The use of video conferencing as an educational tool in a school context has been briefly
explored in a number of recent research studies however. Two thirds of the Education
Departments’ Superhighways Initiative projects (Scrimshaw 1997), for example, involved
some element of video conferencing, with one project focussing exclusively on its use. The
uses observed in these various projects included remote tutoring of pupils in rural areas (Hall
et al., 1997), the provision of professional development opportunities for teachers (McFarlane
et al., 1997), exchanges between pupils in different locations within the UK in a range of
subjects (Passey et al., 1997), communication between Y6 and Y7 pupils to facilitate
smoother transition primary/secondary transfer (Galton et al, 1997, Comber and Hargreaves,
1997), and one-to-one tuition for students with special educational needs, including the ‘gifted
and talented’ (Thorpe, 1998). Despite some technical and organisational barriers, a wide
range of both social and educational benefits was shown to accrue from the use of video
conferencing in these various settings.

Other studies in the UK have confirmed and clarified these general findings, as well as
documenting the potential of video conferencing for particular subject areas. For example
Williams (1999), reports on a number of projects involving communication between schools in
the UK and Japan, which included collaborative dramatic and musical performances and
scientific experiments. Language learning has been identified by a number of writers as a
curriculum area which benefits well from video conferencing exchanges, where it enables
real-time, authentic-language communication between students in different countries (Wright
and Whitehead, 1998; Butler and Fawkes, 1999). In addition to the benefits in terms of
curriculum learning, studies such as these also point to the development of social and
communication skills and increased cultural awareness. The well-documented collaborative
potential of ICT (see for example Mercer, 1996) is also a commonly cited feature of video
conferencing exchanges between pupils.

These findings are echoed in two current UK initiatives that focus on the use of video
conferencing in schools. The Motivate project (Gage 2001; Gage et al., 2002), has shown that
video conferencing can be used to enrich mathematics lessons, providing students with a
broader conceptual understanding of mathematics and how it is utilised in ‘real life’ contexts.
The success of the Global Leap project (Griffith, 2001), which began as a 16 hour marathon
video conferencing exchange between schools in 13 different nations, has led to a
broadening of the DfES Video conferencing in the Classroom Project /www.global-leap.com
through DfES funding to include a range of subjects and the incorporation of external
educationally-focussed national and international agencies, such as museums and galleries.

Despite these developments, video conferencing is still regarded as new and remains a
relatively underused technology in schools, often pursued by a few enthusiasts and with its
educational potential across a wider curriculum hardly explored. This evaluation,
commissioned by the DfES, redresses this paucity of research by exploring, in selected
schools, the relationship between the use of video conferencing technologies and their impact
(both actual and potential) on pupils' attitudes to and attainment in school, and on teachers'
practices.




2.1.1 Context

The DfES Video conferencing in the Classroom Project/global-leap.com (hereafter referred to
as the Project) was launched at a time of considerable change and development in ICT in
schools. An increasing emphasis on the importance of integrating ICT into classroom practice
has been promoted through a range of government initiatives that has seen the level and
sophistication of ICT provision increase dramatically. National training programmes for
teachers, and more recently for headteachers, have raised professional standards in teaching
with ICT and in its strategic leadership.

The advent of regional Broadband Consortia (RBCs) which work to procure internet services,
broadband infrastructure and content for LEAs and schools, represents an important
development in this process and has particular significance for video conferencing.

As will become evident in this report, while many of the evaluation schools had Broadband
1
connectivity for internet access, the majority relied on ISDN (of varying levels) for video
conferencing activities. In some areas of the country, however, broadband is the main means
of video conferencing transmission, as it is in much of Higher Education and many
commercial organisations. As RBCs further develop, broadband conferencing is likely to
become the norm rather than the exception.

The evaluation was thus conducted at a particular point in the history of ICT development,
with a particular group of schools, using particular technologies. For this reason, this report
focuses mainly on the potential of video conferencing to enhance teaching, learning and
attainment, taking account of technological factors where those are deemed to have affected
learning outcomes.

2.1.2 The project

Since October 2001, the Project has enabled interested schools to use video conferencing as
a resource to enhance the curriculum. The Project team offers advice and support to schools
seeking to develop video conferencing in the curriculum, finds video conferencing partners,
arranges interactive video conferences and sustains a nationwide network of skilled
practitioners. The Project covers each Key Stage across all areas of the curriculum as well as
working with special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and other pupils who are
otherwise isolated from mainstream education.

2.1.3 Educational activities

The Project team, which works with schools across the UK, has helped to develop a network
of skilled practitioners who are available to support schools. An important part of this process
is to lend DfES equipment to museums and galleries and to work with education staff to
present live interactive video conference lessons matched to National Curriculum
specifications in a range of subjects areas including science, art, history and geography. In
excess of 50 such sessions per month are available directly to classrooms from experts
working in UK museums, galleries and other public organisations with an educational remit.

These lessons - provided free of charge to the schools - are arranged via the Global Leap
website (www.global_leap.com) which represents the central video conferencing resource for
teachers in the UK. The resource enables schools to be involved in a range of curriculum
activities using video conferencing. These include pupils improving their language skills
through interaction with native speakers (MFL), learning about the lives and experiences of
their peer groups in other cultures (citizenship) and exchanging information about local
environments or history (humanities). Because video conferencing is a verbal as well as
visual medium, it also lends itself to the development of both social and communication skills.

1
A glossary of terms can be found at the end of this report.



2.1.4 Support

Prior to the Project, many of the staff in the museums and galleries had little prior experience
of video conferencing (and in some cases of working with schools) and worked to develop
their skills in these areas. A number of the pilot programmes that emerged from this process
were developed in parallel with the schools' activities and curriculum interests. Enabling these
programmes to be available to schools has involved a range of new developments for many
of these institutions, including the provision of internal training programmes, arranging
session timetables, identifying appropriate space and systems for effective communication
with schools to plan and set up video conferencing sessions. This has in turn involved the
regular support of the Project team in developing, improving and sustaining these
programmes.

The Project team was also involved in the exploration and testing of the wide range of
technology that is available for video conferencing to assess its suitability and ease of use in
the classroom. This is linked to an important part of the service available to school, that is
guidance on the appropriate equipment, connectivity, equipment testing, the siting of facilities,
room layout and so on. Once schools have set up their equipment, dedicated sessions on
getting started with video conferencing (My First Video conference) are available via the
project. A comprehensive guide to good practice produced by the team and published by
DfES (Arnold et al., 2004) is available from the Global Leap website, www.global-leap.com.

2.2 The evaluation

2.2.1 Aims of the evaluation

The DfES has a longer term aim of spreading good practice in the use of video conferencing
in delivering the curriculum. To this end, it established the Project in schools in the UK. The
main aims of the evaluation of the project’s work were defined by the DfES as being:

• to highlight the factors perceived to have had the most significant impacts on
teaching and learning with a specific focus on the potential of video conferencing
to raise academic attainment

• to identify the factors that contributed to any such outcomes

• to identify what are the mediating factors underpinning ‘success’ and effective
use of the technology

• to make explicit the lessons learned, offering recommendations applicable to the
wider schools base surrounding what practices should be promoted and avoided.

2.2.2 Evaluation framework

To understand the impact of video conferencing in schools, the evaluation investigated three
main levels of activity:

Institutional level:
• the purchase, deployment and management of video conferencing resources
• the place of video conferencing within overall ICT development planning and
policy

Subject level:
• the nature and quality of teaching
• the nature and quality of learning
• teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil relationships



Individual level:
• the perceptions of individual teachers and learners on the relationship
between video conferencing and academic attainment
• the perceptions of individual teachers of the strengths, weaknesses and
implications of the use of video conferencing in different contexts
• the perceptions of pupils of the impact of using video conferencing in formal
learning situations on their understanding and engagement with learning
• where relevant, the perceptions of pupils of the impact of using video
conferencing in informal (eg, ‘off-/non-task’ interactions) on their
understanding and engagement with learning.

More specifically these levels were explored with reference to the following:

Teachers’ and pupils’:
• perceptions of the impact of the use of video conferencing on student
attainment
• understanding of the value of using video conferencing in terms of wider
benefits than attainment
• definitions/understanding of the concept of attainment

Teachers':
• attitudes towards and definitions of the effectiveness of ICT in educational
contexts with specific reference to video conferencing
• perceptions of the impact of video conferencing on factors such as teaching
style, classroom organisation and the planning of learning activities

Pupils’:
• perceptions of the relative impact of video conferencing on their learning and
achievement
• attitudes towards the use of video conferencing in subject lessons

Within the learning context
• the role of the teacher and the range and nature of teaching styles deployed
when using video conferencing and how these differ from teaching in non
video conferencing contexts
• the role of the pupil and the range and nature of learning activities engaged in
when using video conferencing and how these differ from learning in non
video conferencing contexts.
• the range and nature of pupil interactions (both within and between
participating pupils and groups of pupils)
• the varying impact (where relevant) of one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-
many personal exchanges (eg, pupil-pupil, pupil-teacher, teacher-teacher)
• the varying impact (where relevant) of bilateral and multilateral institutional
exchanges.
• the impact of collaboration (peer-peer and teacher-pupil) around and through
video conferencing systems on styles of learning

Organisational/technical factors

This concerned issues relating to:
• different systems and compatibility between systems
• data speed/connectivity
• classroom organisation, including timetabling for synchronous sessions
• technical support and maintenance
• the location of and access to video conferencing equipment.



2.3 Sample and methods 2

The main research strategy was composed of four inter-related strands. In Strand 1, a survey
of the research literature on video conferencing and interviews with experts, including
technical, educational and external providers of video conference activities, were conducted.
The initial literature review was submitted to DfES in the early stages of the evaluation
(Lawson et al 2003).
In Strand 2, the focus of activity was schools or colleges 3 who were engaged in some form of
video conferencing, as identified to the team by the DfES Video conferencing in the
Classroom Project Board (hereafter referred to as the Board). Twenty-eight schools were
initially involved, and although there was some attrition and replacement over the course of
the year-long project, a final sample of 28 schools was achieved.

Central to the selection of the schools was a desire to reflect a range of video conferencing
experience both in general terms and in specific curriculum areas. Four subjects - geography,
history, English and modern foreign languages - were identified as representing the
curriculum areas most commonly associated with video conferencing use in the DfES Project
schools.

The schools were drawn from a wide geographical area, across all age phases and included
special schools and learning centres. The schools were roughly divided into three groups
according to their length of experience with video conferencing. Just under a third (8) had
engaged in video conferencing activity for over a year (Established level user), a third (9) for
about a year (Intermediate level user) and more than a third (11) were 'Greenfield' sites,
where they had just recently been given video conferencing equipment (Entrance level user).

Baseline data were collected from the participating schools (see Section 3 for a summary of
these data) and each school received a familiarisation visit from a research team member.
During this visit, key personnel - the Principal, the lead teacher (the person mainly
responsible for video conferencing activities in the school) and teacher-users (teachers who
use video conferencing for curriculum purposes) - were interviewed using semi-structured
schedules. Some initial observations of actual video conferences were made, as well as
opportunistic interviews or discussions with students who had used video conferencing.
These schools also contributed to 'exit' interviews with the lead teacher conducted by
telephone at the end of the evaluation.

Strand 3 involved more intensive work with twelve of the 28 schools involved. These case
study schools were chosen, in consultation with the DfES Video conferencing Project Board,
4
to represent a range of experience, age groups and the four subject areas .

Visits were made to the eleven of the twelve case study schools (with one school not being
able to organise a suitable occasion) 5. In these visits, a video conference was observed using
a systematic schedule developed for this purpose and parts of the conference itself were
recorded on video by a team member. At the request of the team, the video conference was
not specifically prepared for the visit, but was part of the normal curriculum for that class. Pre-
and post-conference interviews were held with the teacher of the class to explore the learning
objectives associated with the session and whether they had been achieved.

Post-session group interviews were also held with the pupils themselves. With secondary
pupils this followed a focus-group format. The approach with primary pupils was that of a
‘guided dialogue’ in which participants initially completed a short writing frame activity around

2 All instruments used in the evaluation are presented in Appendix X
3 For the sake of simplicity, the term ‘school’ is used throughout the report
4 In the light of information gathered during the familiarisation visits, and in consultation with the Board,
the subjects of history and geography were combined as ‘humanities’ with a fourth subject
‘citizenship/global dimension’ included.
5 Although detailed data, including an observation of a video conference and interview with pupils, were
collected during the familiarisation visit to this school.



the theme of video conferencing as a means of prompting discussion. In addition to these
scheduled data-collection exercises, team members maintained contact with case study
schools, especially those with interesting or innovative uses of the technology. Some
interviews with ‘far-end’ users were also conducted where possible.

Strand 4 involved the collection of electronic data from the non-case-study schools. These
included calendars of the video conferencing events in schools over the year of the
evaluation, and email ‘diaries’ from both teachers and pupils commenting on their
experiences of and attitudes towards video conferencing. Lead teachers in the case study
schools were also targeted in a telephone ‘exit interview’ at the end of the evaluation (these
were also extended to include the remaining 16 schools in the sample). A limited number of
telephone interviews were also conducted with ‘far-end’ providers in galleries and museums,
in addition to opportunistic interviews with remote tutors during observational visits.

In the data collection aspects of the project, care was taken to pay due regard to issues of
confidentiality and child protection. Analysis of interview data was conducted using NUDIST
software.

2.4 The research team

The study represented a collaboration between researchers at the School of Education,
University of Leicester, and the Millennium Mathematics Project, University of Cambridge.
The team members were:

University of Leicester
Dr Chris Comber Research director
Dr Tony Lawson Research director
Dr Tracey Allen Chief research officer
Phil Hingley Research officer
Julie Boggon Research officer

University of Cambridge
Jenny Gage Researcher
Adrian Cullum-Hanshaw Technical consultant

team

The Project team included:
Mike Griffith Project Manager and DfES Consultant
Tim Arnold Adviser, Devon Curriculum Services
Steve Cayley Adviser, Devon Curriculum Services
Mary Wormington The International Education Office, Gloucester
Penny Krucker The International Education Office, Gloucester
Jason Tarbarth Teacher, Support to schools



Section 3
Baseline survey: Sample characteristics

Key findings of this section
• The types and make of video conferencing equipment in schools are wide, with
ISDN connection being the most common form of connectivity.

• A minority of the schools had dedicated suites for video conferencing, with most
having stand-alone mobile systems.

• The school with the longest experience of video conferencing reported an
average of four conferences per week.

• Reported usage covered a variety of modes of use with the most popular being
outside experts and small group to small group work.

3 Introduction

This section briefly outlines the situation of the sample schools in February 2003, at the start
of the evaluation. A questionnaire (Appendix 1) was sent as an email attachment to the lead
teacher in each of the 28 participating schools. All but two responded (in most cases by
returning the completed questionnaire by email), a response rate of 89% which gives a base
figure of 26. In some, where sections of the questionnaire were incomplete or incorrectly filled
in, further data were collected from schools where possible.

As participants in the DfES Video conferencing in the Classroom Project/www.global-
leap.com, all of the schools and colleges selected to take part in the evaluation had used
video conferencing at some level. As the schools were deliberately chosen to represent a
range of experience, from relative beginners to the much more experienced, this was
naturally reflected in the data received in this survey.

The participating schools represented a very broad range of size, type and location. While we
do not claim this by any means to be a representative sample of schools in England (further
information relating to sample selection can be found in Section 2) it nevertheless reflected a
very diverse set of learning contexts into which video conferencing was introduced.

3.1 Geographical spread

Geographically these schools were widely spread from Devon to Cumbria. The type of school
ranged from small county primary through to large inner-city colleges. The sample also
included specialist teaching schools and those with a large proportion of students with special
educational needs and a children’s hospital, that is a specialist hospital school with a
fluctuating number and type of pupils. Learners' ages across the sample ranged from 2 years
to adult. Three of the schools were single sex (in each case girls-only) institutions.

3.2 Number of teachers and pupils

The mean number of FTE staff in the secondary schools was 71, ranging from 26 (160 pupils
on roll) to 123 (1500). For primary schools in the sample the equivalent figures were an
average of 10 FTE staff per school, ranging from a small rural primary school with just two
teachers and 22 pupils, to an urban school with 21 FTE teachers and around 500 pupils.
Special (and some specialist) schools varied widely in both teacher and pupil numbers as well
as the age range of the students. For example one sports college (also a special school) had
80 teachers for 240 students who ranged from pre-school (2 years) to 19. A City Learning
Centre with learners from 7-14 years, on the other hand, had over 2000 students. The lowest



number of learners in a school was 19 in a rural Primary School and the highest was 4,500 in
a City Learning Centre whose intake included learners from 5 years old to adults.

3.3 Pupil characteristics

The percentage of students for whom English was not their first language ranged from 0% in
several schools to as high as 76%. The number of ethnic groups represented (where stated)
ranged from 1 to 33. The number of learners on the SEN register ranged from 0 to 260 and
those receiving free school meals from 0 to 80%.

3.4 Level and distribution of ICT resources

As might be expected, the level of ICT resources varied widely from school to school. On
average, secondary schools had around 150 computers (just under 20% of which were
laptops) while primary schools had an average of 30 per school (less than 1% of which were
laptops).

The PC:Pupil ratio in secondary schools ranged from 1 PC per 1.5 pupils to 1:14, although
there was no clear relationship between school size and level of provision. Generally
speaking, primary schools tended to be reasonably well provided, with equivalent ratios in the
1:5 (or fewer) range for several of them. With one exception, the special schools - especially
those which were 'all through' with large intakes – tended to have lower levels of provision for
their students.

In terms of the availability of computers for staff, secondary schools had on average around
60 PCs available for staff compared with 6 for primary schools.

3.5 Connectivity

Twelve schools described their Internet connectivity as Broadband. While only 8 of these
gave details of optimum speed, this ranged from 300Kbps (reflecting perhaps a notion of
'Broadband' currently being promoted by commercial providers to the domestic market) to
100Mbps reported by two schools. 5 schools had 2Mbps connections.

Local or regional grids for learning (GfL) were the Internet providers for 65% of the sample.
The remaining schools had preferential (education-rate) arrangements with commercial
providers. A small number of schools used more that one provider, generally a combination of
the LEA and private services.

A rather different pattern emerged for video conferencing transmission. Of those schools that
provided this information, ISDN2 was used by eighteen of the schools, the majority of which
were primary, with three using ISDN4 and two ISDN6. Eight of these schools also used
Broadband, with just three schools – all secondary - using this exclusively.

3.6 Video conferencing equipment

3.6.1 Type of equipment

While the general levels of ICT provision give some indication of the integration of technology
in the schools, the major focus of interest for this evaluation was the nature and quantity of
video conferencing equipment.

Ten of the schools were in receipt of loaned equipment as part of the DfES project. Sixteen
had owned their video conferencing facilities outright, with one school having both.

The type and make of equipment varied from school to school, with some using more than
one type. The most commonly used (in order of popularity) were:
• Polycom
• Picture Tel



• Tandberg
• Vcon
• RSI Mediapro
• LeadTek videophone
• Intel Proshare
• MetaEyeprovu ISDN videophone

3.6.2 Siting of video conferencing equipment

Around a third of the schools had an area of some sort in which video conferencing
equipment was permanently sited. The computer suite was the most common location, with
reported capacity ranging from twenty-five to fifty pupils/students. In some schools the
equipment was semi-permanently sited in a location such as a classroom where most of the
video conferencing activity took place. The remainder had stand-alone systems, most of
which were mobile, although those schools reliant on ISDN connection were generally more
restricted in this respect.

3.7 Viewing video conferences

Schools used a variety of equipment to view the video conferences, with a number having
access to more than one facility. The majority of those that responded to this question used a
TV monitor (16:25), with the next most common systems being some form of interactive
whiteboard (12) or projection screen (8). While 6 schools used a standard PC monitor, none
relied on this as their sole means of viewing a conference.

3.8 Ancillary equipment and software

A range of software and hardware was said to be available for use in conjunction with video
6
conferencing equipment. This included interactive whiteboards (17 schools), presentation
software (7), internet-based meeting software (6) and document camera/visualiser (1).

3.9 Patterns of use

3.9.1 Video conferencing experience

Given that the sample of schools deliberately reflected three broad levels of video
conferencing experience (established, intermediate, entrance), it was not surprising to find a
large gap between the most and least experienced users. The mean length of experience was
1 Year 3 months. The schools with the longest involvement in video conferencing were a
secondary school with over five years experience and a special school which had used it for
four years. Several schools – the ‘entrance level’ sites - had only very recently acquired their
equipment.

3.9.2 Frequency of use

In terms of frequency of use, all who supplied data for this question had used their video
conferencing equipment in the previous term, 17 of which had used it within the previous
week. The most experienced school was also amongst the most regular users (on average at
least once per week), although the most frequent user was a school of some three years
experience, which reported an average of four conferences per week. Nevertheless, some
schools which had only recently begun experimenting with the technology were already
frequent users. This is likely to have reflected an early 'burst of activity' in some instances,
however, so that the most common pattern of use (about half of the schools) was around
once per term. At the time of the survey, just one school said that their equipment was used
'only occasionally'.

6 The extent to which this was used with any regularity is explored later in the report.



3.10 Age range

A wide range of year groups was reported to be involved in video conferencing, from Year 2
through to adult. Two all-through special school involved all ages (7-19 and 5-16 years
respectively), with three primary schools also reporting use with all year groups. The
remainder ranged from activity with just a single year group (2 primary, 2 secondary schools)
to three or four year groups. One school also mentioned the use of video conferencing for
staff.

3.11 Nature of remote sites

The location of remote sites fell into four broad levels of activity. These were:

• Level 1: schools and/or organisations within a relatively small geographical
area (eg, partner/feeder schools, other schools in the same LEA, other local
institutions)

• Level 2: Level 1 plus schools and/or organisations (such as galleries and
museums) further afield but within the UK

• Level 3: Levels 1&2 plus schools and/or organisations within continental
Europe

• Level 4: Levels 1-3 plus schools and/or organisations in the rest of the world.

3.11.1 UK links

Many of the conferences in which the schools were engaged within the UK were either with
other UK schools or with external agencies. The latter included commercial providers and
Further/Higher Education Institutions, in some cases offering purpose-designed courses, in
others ‘by arrangement’ expert seminars. In addition to these organisations were a number of
public institutions such as galleries and museums that have an educational remit, offering a
variety of curriculum-focussed sessions, which generally operated via a ‘booking’ system.

3.11.2 International links

A similar set of opportunities existed with international links, so that the evaluation schools
were in contact with others schools and remote experts in various parts of the world. Those
listed on the survey included:
• Australia
• Afghanistan
• Bulgaria
• China
• Finland
• Germany
• Greece
• Holland
• India
• Italy
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Poland
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Turkey
• USA



3.12 Modes of use

3.12.1 Type of use

Video conferencing was being used in a variety of modes, from complete classes
communicating with one another, to contact with individual pupils. In summary, the number of
schools using each mode was as follows:

Small group to small group 15
Outside experts brought to the pupils 15
Single class to single class 13
Multipoint video conferencing 11
Remote teaching of one or more groups 10
Large group to large group 9
Shared teaching of one or more groups 6
Individual pupil contact 5
Management meetings 4
In-service training 3
Job interviews 3

3.12.2 Subject areas covered

Within the broader DfES project, the most frequent usage of video conferencing occurred in
four curriculum areas (geography, history, modern foreign languages and English), which
served as an initial sampling criterion 7. Video conferencing activity was of course not
restricted to these areas. Within the six months prior to the survey this had included almost
every aspect of the curriculum, as the list below indicates 8:
• Art
• Basic skills
• Citizenship
• Drama
• English
• Geography
• History
• Home economics
• ICT
• International dimension
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Modern languages
• Music
• Project work
• Science
• Spanish.

Video conferencing had also been used for staff training, including internally provided INSET,
as well as for continuing professional development (CPD) and for contact with PGCE
students. Other uses (reported by individual schools in each case) included; testing (ie, pupil
assessment), commercial links, demonstrations to parents, teacher to teacher and staff
planning meetings, as well as for planning video conferences themselves.

7 Revised in the light of familiarisation visits - see details of sample selection in the Methods section
8 Note that this list is derived from survey returns reporting activity within the previous 6 months., not
activity across the Project altogether.



Section 4
Models of video conferencing use

Key findings of this section
• Four broad categories of video conferencing can be identified: familiarisation,
substitution, enhancement and adaptation.

• Enhancement or value-added activities were most common type of video
conferencing in the case study schools.

• Contextual factors, such as structural, organisational, curricular and technical
aspects, shape the patterns of usage of video conferencing.

• A distinction should be made between a successful conference (where everything
goes to plan) and an effective one (where learning objectives are met).

4 Introduction

The decision to incorporate video conferencing into a learning activity involves the careful
consideration of a variety of interacting factors. Although thorough lesson planning is of
course an important process for all teaching, video conferencing introduces additional layers
of complexity, not only because of the use of technology, but also because it brings ‘remote
others’ into the equation. Teachers considering the use of video conferencing need to be
aware, therefore, that it is likely to involve a higher degree of preparation than a ‘regular’
lesson.

Drawing on the evidence collected in the evaluation, this Section sets out to model the use of
video conferencing practice in terms of general approaches and various contextual factors. It
is important to note that while some brief examples are given in this Section by way of
illuminating this framework, more detailed illustrative data are presented in later Sections of
the report.

4.1 General approaches to educational video conferencing

Attempts to model video conferencing usage in the classroom might have a number of
different ‘starting points’, which themselves reflect not only the variety of ways in which
teachers encounter and begin to use the technology, but also the rationale for its introduction
into the learning context.

In this latter regard, four broad categories of video conferencing usage may be identified
initially. These are respectively:

• Familiarisation: representing the ‘first steps’ in the video conferencing
process

• Substitution: the replacement of traditional curriculum delivery by video
conferencing

• Enhancement: the most common usage, where the use of video conferencing
is an integral part of a traditionally delivered approach

• Adaptation: where teachers have begun to explore the potential of the
technology to go beyond traditional pedagogies.



Each of these categories is now described in turn.

4.1.1 Familiarisation

All of the schools received the support available through the Project. This provided teachers
with access to basic training in the use of video conferencing equipment, and guidance about
factors which make for a successful conference, including ‘tele-presence skills’ (the video
conferencing equivalent of ‘netiquette’).

With or without such training, the first video conferencing activity of most teachers involved a
process of familiarising themselves (and their students) with the technology, often in a ‘live’
exchange with another school or other remote partner. This generally involved the exploratory
use of the technology within a relatively weak curricular framework. This was evident in many
initial experiences of video conferencing, which were essentially ‘trials’ of both the technology
and the experience of remote interaction.

We encountered numerous such interactions, which often involved relatively simple
exchanges about pupils’ interests, school-related activities, the weather, local geography,
features of the local community and so on. In a few instances, video conferencing activity
appeared to be rather ‘fixed’ at this level of use, while some schools opted to launch straight
into curriculum activity at the first interchange. In the great majority of cases, however, this
approach represented an intentional and considered process, a first step towards a more
‘embedded’ approach.

4.1.2 Substitution

For some schools (or individual teachers) the recognition or belief that video conferencing
could provide the solution to a particular educational ‘problem’ was the catalyst for introducing
video conferencing into a learning activity. In this model of use, the introduction of video
conferencing enabled schools or teachers to engage in activities that would otherwise be
organisationally difficult and/or prohibitively expensive.

An example here was a 6th Form wishing to offer a subject for which there is only modest
demand or the need to bring in peripatetic teachers for minority subjects. A related problem
can occur with more ‘mainstream’ subjects where the 6th Form is itself relatively small. Some
schools solved this kind of problem by arranging for the course to be delivered remotely via
video conferencing by specialist providers, or through collaboration with other local schools in
the same situation.

4.1.3 Enhancement

This approach was where video conferencing was seen as something which could enhance
an existing curricular activity, a tool which could ‘add value’ to pupils’ learning experience.
The enhancement approach to video conferencing represented by far the most common use
of the technology in this evaluation. The examples below therefore represent just a fraction of
the tremendous range of activities and projects that we encountered, further descriptions of
which are given throughout the report.

Examples of this kind of use included;
• Class-to-class exchanges (such as a modern foreign language class linking
with a same-age group in Germany, France and so on)

• Access to remote expertise (eg, ‘guest speakers’ from a University or
business organisation; links to the educational services of museums and
galleries; curriculum activities devised and co-ordinated by subject
specialists)



• Links between local schools (eg, social and academic activities related to
secondary school induction procedures; modern foreign language
conversation sessions for KS2 children)

• Inter-school collaborative enterprises (eg, joint problem-solving exercises;
exchanges of local environmental, geographical or historical data; learning
about one another’s cultural practices).

4.1.4 Adaptation

A fourth approach was to explore the potential of video conferencing for developing new and
innovative practices, that is to say, experimenting with the technology to develop learning
activities that had hitherto been difficult or impossible to organise. This differs from the
‘Substitution’ approach in that the focus was on a novel model of learning, rather than a novel
way of delivering a traditional pedagogy.

Examples of this kind of use were, if not commonly encountered, certainly not rare events.
Moreover, compared to other forms of ICT which have been in schools for a much longer
period (and which are still far from being integrated into the curriculum in many schools), even
relative newcomers to video conferencing appeared to be much more willing to attempt – or at
least consider – an explorative approach. Again, examples of this approach are given later in
the report.

4.2 Refining the model: Contextual factors

The above section represents a set of very generalised descriptions of the ways in which
teachers were using (or were planning to use) video conferencing. Whether these approaches
are considered as stages in a developmental model, or as a set of self-contained strategies,
each incorporates a variety of factors which are themselves determined by the specific
learning objectives of a given lesson or series of lessons.
These include:

Structural factors
• Pattern of interaction (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many)
• Mode of interaction (eg, receiving information, providing information, information
exchange)

Organisational factors
• Degree of pre-conference organisation and planning
• Role of teacher(s)/other adults participating in the conference
• Role of pupils participating in the conference
• Number of pupils participating in the conference

Curricular factors
• Place of the conference within the subject curriculum
• Place of the conference within the lesson or series of lessons

Technical factors
• Transmission type/speed
• Involvement of other technologies (for communication eg, email, internet)
demonstration (eg, whiteboard, presentation software, document camera)
interchange (eg, application sharing and so on)
• Visual/auditory quality
• Reliability/robustness of the technology/connectivity

Each of these factors in now considered in turn:



4.2.1 Structural factors

Pattern of interaction

This relates to the number of people involved in the conference at each site. A number of the
conferences that took place in the evaluation schools were one-to-one communication.
Several of these examples were between teachers at different sites for the purposes of
planning and of organising a conference. Such exchanges, often supplemented by telephone
contact and/or email communications (which also facilitated the exchange of learning
materials) were regarded as a key component of pre-conference preparation.

One of the most common patterns of interaction was one-to-many, that is where one person
9
addressed a group of pupils at another site (or sites) . An example of this was the remote
tutoring of a child with special educational needs, averting the need for travel for specialised
support. This approach was also characteristic of many of the conferences arranged through
the Video conferencing in the Classroom Project/www.global-leap.com. In parallel with
schools-based support, the Project team was developing pilot programmes in a range of
museums, galleries and other public organisations with an educational remit to develop
activities to support each other. This enabled pupils (and teachers) to have direct access to a
subject expert, as well as to examine artefacts held by the institution, or to explore the
institutional environment itself.

A number of schools (whether or not they availed themselves of gateway services of this kind)
also established their own links with individuals and institutions for the purposes of ‘tapping in’
to their expertise. These included curriculum-focused conferences (for example a 6th Form
talk on fluid mechanics from a university lecturer) as well as vocationally–focused question
and answer sessions with representatives of local or national industries, services and
educational institutions.

Another example of this one-to-many approach was the use of external tutors for minority
subjects or small student groups. Some schools took advantage of the services of a
commercial provider. For example, a rural secondary school in our sample, with a small 6th
Form and few local opportunities for alternative provision, bought in remotely delivered
courses in A-level subjects such as psychology and sociology.

Another secondary school solved much the same problem by collaborating with two other
schools to ensure a viable 6th Form group, with the course tutor located in the ‘host’ school. A
similar approach was taken by a primary school and its partner school, both small rural
primary institutions, using video conferencing to develop and work on joint activities which
were previously only possible by ‘bussing’ children from one school to the other.

Mode of interaction

This refers to whether the major focus of the conference, from the perspective of the students
or teachers in the evaluation schools, was on receiving, providing or sharing information. The
‘remote expert’ model, for example, clearly suggests the first of these. Most such conferences
typically involved an introductory talk by the expert/s, often accompanied by demonstrations
or an examination of artefacts. This was generally followed by opportunities for students to
ask questions, develop ideas and/or contextualise the newly gained knowledge with reference
to their classwork (for example by explaining to the ‘expert’ what they had been studying and
its relevance to the conference).

The second (providing information) was a less-frequent school-based activity. There were
some instances of schools offering expertise to other schools, however. An example of this
was a proposal by a school which had developed expertise in working with children with

9 In some conferences two or three people might be involved in the ‘far end’ delivery . For the purposes
of this report , however, these examples are discussed under the heading of ‘one-to-many’.



autistic disorders to offer video conference ‘surgeries’ for teachers who wished to find out
about autism or discuss teaching and learning strategies. The school was also considering
the viability of using video conferencing as a diagnostic tool. The idea here was to observe
remotely the behaviour of students and to discuss issues with the teacher at the ‘far end’.

The third (sharing) mode describes video conferences that were primarily designed as a
mutual exchange or collaborative production of information, ideas and activities. This was a
fairly common aspect of many video conferencing activities. These ranged from the relatively
straightforward such as initial social exchange (described by one teacher as the ‘pleasantries
and social side’) to collaborative projects. Examples of this latter approach include a joint
Christmas service with another local school and a proposed collaborative musical production
(a ‘hip-hopera’) with a school in Jamaica, which involved video conferencing as a planning, as
well as performance medium.

4.2.2 Organisational factors

Pre-conference organisation and planning

As the above discussion indicates, pre-conference preparation is an essential stage of the
video conferencing process if the session is to be successful and effective.

All teachers recognised the need for thorough preparation, and many described detailed
discussions between them and their video conferencing partners in planning the sessions.
Making these arrangements could be a lengthy and elaborate process, particularly when
setting
up a ‘one off’ conference or the first in a series. Such exchanges typically involved reaching
agreement on:

• Lesson structure and content (including curriculum materials)

• Teacher/other support roles (both pedagogic [the teaching style each would
adopt] and organisational [leading, mediating, facilitating] )

• Pupil roles

• Practical issues (such as identifying mutually convenient times for the
conference or the exchange of curriculum materials)

4.2.3 Curricular factors

Curriculum integration

The effectiveness of any lesson – whether or not technology is involved – is a measure of the
degree to which the anticipated learning objectives are achieved. This itself is likely to involve
a combination of skill development and/or knowledge acquisition as well as – from the point of
view of the evaluation schools - meeting specific objectives in line with the English National
Curriculum, both cross-curricular (for example literacy and numeracy targets) and within-
subject.

As might be expected, there was considerable variation in the degree to which a given video
conference session was embedded in the taught curriculum. The use of the technology for the
remote delivery of discrete courses, such as the Advanced Level sessions described in
paragraph 4.2.1, represents an example of a completely integrated approach.

In this approach, the curriculum is entirely accessed via video conferencing (indeed in this
particular example it would not have been accessible without it).



At the other end of the scale is the ‘familiarisation’ type conference described earlier, in which
participants get used to video conferencing technology and protocols. The extent to which
these different approaches might be considered an ‘educationally effective’ video conference
is discussed in the concluding remarks of this Section, but even at relatively low level of
integration, however, many teachers indicated significant improvements in children’s
confidence in speaking and listening, key components of literacy and essential skills for
accessing the curriculum more generally.

Place of the conference within the lesson or series of lessons

In the majority of cases, conferences tended to be more-or-less self-contained events, that is
to say, they represented a discrete lesson rather than being part of a lesson. The conference
as ‘special event’ is partly a function of a number of coinciding variables, including:

• Location of the equipment: if fixed, this often necessitated a booking arrangement,
similar to that commonly found for ICT suites; if mobile, then a degree of ‘setting up’
sometimes disrupted the normal flow of the lesson

• External links: the very process of communicating with an external person or group
again breaks up the regular pattern of teacher-pupil interaction
10
• Timetabling: the need to arrange mutually convenient timetables (as in a school-to-
school conference), or to book a conference with an external provider (such as a
gallery or museum), often meant having to schedule the conference at times other
than the regular curriculum slot. In the latter ‘remote expert’ approach, the need to fit
in with the provider’s availability sometimes resulted in the conference occurring out
of sequence, that is before or after the particular topic was addressed in the taught
curriculum.

For the most part, these disjunctions represented something that simply needed to be taken
into consideration. This came with experience, so that most teachers quickly learned to
anticipate and plan for such eventualities. Nevertheless, where conferences were a part of a
series of lessons (such as a weekly meeting between two classes), or open arrangement
(such as ‘drop-in’ language sessions between students in a secondary school and their
counterparts in a French school), there was a greater sense of ‘seamlessness’. Moreover, the
very regularity of such events meant that participants at each site became accustomed to
communicating in this way and developed more secure relationships with one another, which
certainly contributed to conferencing becoming a normal part of the teaching and learning
routine.

4.2.4 Technical factors

The impact of technical factors on the effectiveness of a conference are both those which
were likely to affect its ‘smooth running’ and those which had a direct impact on the learning
itself. Because of the potential impact of such factors, these are discussed in detail in a
separate section (Section 9).

4.3 Summary: Ensuring an effective conference

We have identified four broad approaches to the educational use of video conferencing,
Familiarisation, Substitution, Enhancement and Adaptation. Each of these is subject to a
variety of contextualising factors that relate to structure, organisation, and learning objectives.
While much of this might apply to teaching and learning more generally, it is clear that the
addition of technology, coupled with the essence of the video conferencing experience, live

10
This was an issue for both within-UK conferences where it was necessary to synchronise timetables
for a given subject, as well as international links where accommodation had to be made for time
differences, sometimes necessitating pre- or post-school hours contact.


Evaluation for the DfES video conferencing in the classroom ...

Evaluation for the DfES video conferencing in the classroom ...

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