Week 3- Video Conferencing

Video conferencing allows people to communicate face to face across the globe. It has provided amazing opportunities for digital commuting and improving online classes. There are many providers but I chose to look at Skype, Big Blue Button, and WebEx.

System	Price	Mobility	File sharing	Screen Sharing	Whiteboard	Number of video feeds	Best feature
Skype	Free	Tablet, Smartphone, Computer	Yes	Yes	No	25	Change video quality
WebEx Premium	$24 per month	Tablet, Smartphone, Computer	Yes	Yes	Yes	?~	Private room meeting
Big Blue Button	Free for education	?*#	No*	Yes	Yes	?*”	Give moderator position to any member of meeting

~I found multiple answers. The FAQ does not provide any answers. On the sign up page it said 25 but a web search brings a range from 5-3,000.

* BigBlueButton’s FAQ and wiki search is very hard to use and doesn’t provide many answers about their services

# BigBlueButton’s website does not mention an app but I found an app in the Google Play store that supposedly acts as an app for BigBlueButton meetings

“ No mention of multiple video feeds, but I know it can do multiple feeds from using it

While Skype is the lightest application, it would be my choice for many applications. It covers the basics of multiple video streams and screen sharing, while being free and basic. For many people, the extra options of WebEx and Big Blue Button are more confusing than helpful.

*Note to Jay: I put this one earlier in the semester because I feel like it might be helpful for video conferencing to be a listed office hour solution for some of the harder programs and assignments. It might also be nice for students to have a clear way to set up a meeting. I am not saying they will necessarily use it, just suggesting it as an option.