Why use Videoconferencing?
Audio Bridge
Each videoconference hosted by UBC Faculty of Medicine will be equipped with an audio bridge. This allows participants to join by phone and provides a backup if a participant’s VC unit fails. The audio bridge can be accessed by anyone within North America from a touch tone phone by dialing the toll-free number and associated 5-digit conference ID. The audio bridge number and conference ID is provided by FoM Room Booking in the room booking confirmation.
Improved Communication across Distributed Teams
VC can be used as a tool to promote accurate and effective communication between participants; this is especially beneficial to distributed teams who face greater communication challenges by working in different locations. Wherever video is added to a meeting or presentation, expressions of satisfaction, concern, or confusion can be easily conveyed. By facilitating communication, VC can also make meetings more productive and effective.
Reduced Travel Costs
With improvements in VC quality, availability, ease of use and ability to interact and share content, the VC service is as close to “being there” as one can get without actually making the trip. VC can facilitate communication between people, and promote project progress in a cost-effective manner when face-to-face meetings are impossible or unnecessary.
VC Recording
To request that we record your VC event or lecture, please complete the following Room Request Form. Select “Yes” in the “Do you want the event recorded” field.
Undergraduate lectures can be posted to the password protected learning management system, MEDICOL. No lectures will be recorded or posted to MEDICOL without the explicit consent of the lecturer/presenter.
For all other recorded events, a downloadable copy will be made available using a secure online file-transfer tool. Information on how to access the tool will be sent to the event coordinator/requester by the Service Desk.
VC Recording Technology
Recordings use the MPEG-4 for Flash format which can be played by major video players (e.g., Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc.) or streamed on the web using a compatible Flash-based player.
Three different formats are available:
- Presentation+Audio (640×480 resolution): Records your presentation material (i.e., PowerPoint, document camera, etc.) with a voice-over; this is ideal for online delivery (e.g., MEDICOL)
- Presenter+Presentation+Audio (1280×480 resolution): Records both the main video channel (i.e., the presenter) and presentation material and displays them side-by-side
- Audio Only: Records only the audio from the videoconference. No video is recorded of the presenter or the presentation.
The following video allows you to see how faculty and students perceive the recording of lectures, and what teaching and learning implications arise from making recorded lectures available to students within the medical curriculum.