Skype in the classroom

This past class period, one of the TechTeams discussed the use of Skype in the classroom. I found this interesting and useful in more than one way. I liked the ideas of other classmates who Skyped in professionals from their fields to talk about a particular topic. This would be an excellent idea, especially if you yourself do not fully understand the topic.

I have used Skype for classes and have found it very useful. In my global leadership class, we were assigned to understand what it means to be a global leader within our fields (mine was microbiology). Part of this assignment required us to Skype with people in our fields and 5 of them had to be living in a different country than our own. I was able to Skype with microbiologists from Italy, South Africa, Southeast Asia, England, and Russia. This was a great way to expand my ideas of microbiology, create relationships, and learn about other cultures. It was a good alternative to research, compared to reading online about something.

We also Skyped with leaders around the globe during class time, which was informative but had serious downfalls. As a class we had a harder time being present and giving the presenter our full attention. The person we Skyped with could not see all of us, some of the video would cut out or lag, and it was very difficult to develop a personal connection with a screen. The questions we asked were not as good and many people spaced out. The feeling was very different and I don't think I would like it for an in class activity. There is something to be said about the physical presence of a human being and I think it demands a lot more respect than a virtual person (unfortunately).

If I ever use this technology in class, I would consider Skyping in an individual for class time, but would keep it short and would only do it in a smaller class. I think this technology tool works best for one on one interactions, where attention is most definitely required of both parties and it feels more intimate.