Online Event Technology: Introduction

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Home Introduction Building an Online Event How to Choose Technology Looking to the Future Additional Information	Introduction to Online Events
	:Introduction :Background :This Study
	Introduction
	This report is intended to introduce the concepts and types of online presentations, and also to be a practical guide to choosing and using the actual online services most appropriate for your event. We begin by discussing a variety of different types of events and technologies; then we zero in on online slideshows and web conferences, applied to “outreach” events. Important: Please note that some of the information in this site is time sensitive in nature, so please check it with other sources.
	Background
	Online events have proven to be an effective and inexpensive dissemination medium for TIE. Three years ago, they were conceived as a way to combine innovative approaches: Leverage the input of partners by highlighting their work Interact with an audience to learn more about their interests and to build a register of participants for future activities Develop content to enrich WestEd web sites by capturing content created for the event Expand the use of electronic media to allow a more flexible response when new “hot topics” arise Investigate and model the use of technology for effective dissemination and professional support During WestEd’s events to date, there has been continuing experimentation and evolution of the event model, using a number of technologies and service vendors. In the last twelve to eighteen months, a number of new product offerings have become available. More recently, a number of vendors have gone out of business or changed business plans – including one of WestEd’s suppliers, Prowebcast. The purpose of this report is to reassess today’s tools and vendors in the light of WestEd’s experience to steer new directions in online interaction. WestEd’s early online event experience taught us valuable lessons about new media, and about online events in particular. While these events resembled professional development courses, they differed in offering a short-term and low-commitment experience for participants. This was helpful in generating broad interest in the events, but it also meant that the medium had to be very simple and relatively foolproof. While some aspects of these events resembled meetings, they differed in creating very distinct roles for the people involved. WestEd staff must play the unusual role of “broker,” bringing together one or more presenters, who prepared materials in advance and led the event, with participants, who had more limited interaction. Since the presenters were as new to online media as the participants, WestEd staff took on a large responsibility for making sure the event was successful by coaching everyone in their roles. While the Internet is destined to someday offer a seamless combination of all communications media to all its users, it is far from that ideal today. If the audience for an event is large, or if it includes users with old software or poor connectivity, multimedia options must be carefully selected to fit the audience. In addition, multimedia materials must frequently be prepared in advance using special software. Take a look at some examples of archived WestEd Online Events
	This Study
	In order to sort through the multitude of online event services and software packages available today, and determine which specific options might be best for the K-12 education community, WestEd has performed a study reviewing several of the available products. The methods of study were: Literature and website search – We generated a long list of products and a checklist of specific product features we were seeking (based on criteria below). Speaking with company representatives – We questioned the companies’ sales and support people, to fill in gaps in our feature checklists. Limited firsthand product experience – WestEd has used some, but not all, of the products discussed in this study. Be sure to test products in your own environment before using them for an actual event. The criteria used to narrow the list of products were: Outreach Category – We concentrated on products appropriate for “outreach” events, such as a “talk show” format. Mac compatibility – With the exception of Chatterbox, we reviewed only products that allow audience members to use either Macintosh or PC computers. This was a big limiting factor since many good services only work with PCs. Minimal audience member technology requirement – We concentrated on products which work with a wide variety of software, hardware, telephone and internet connection types. Ease of Use – We looked at both the presenter and audience “learning curve” required. Features – We looked for about a dozen features focusing on promoting interactivity, such as: polling, whiteboard and means for audience members to ask questions. Accessibility – We looked for products that provide some features to assist the hearing or visually impaired. Cost – We mention products in all price categories but we have especially looked for good value. Not one vendor and their offerings today directly support online event models as they have been conducted by WestEd. The vendors surveyed tend to emphasize adult education coursework, business meetings, or multimedia preparation for non-interactive viewing. They are increasingly encroaching on each other’s markets and trying to satisfy all of these needs in one integrated product, but so far there is no “one size fits all” solution. Also, vendors primarily develop and target their services and products for e-learning within the corporation; they don’t optimize their products for the K-12 education community. Similarly, the vast majority of reviews of online event products by magazines and websites are geared toward the corporate reader. So this WestEd study, using the criteria above, provides a unique review of online event services and software from the K-12 education perspective, resulting in specific recommendations documented in this report. After generating a list of about 40 software and service providers, based on literature search and existing WestEd documents, this study zeroed in on 14 leading services. 7 of these were quickly eliminated due to scant support for Macintosh computers. The remaining 7 “winning” services are summarized in the [link: Findings] section.

Introduction to Online Events