Use of Imagery in Teaching via Video conferencing

Abstract

Network regional universities often have small classes on each of several campuses. Hence either students at some campuses were disenfranchised by having fewer unit offerings, or classes repeated, at great inefficiency, on each of many campuses. Video conferencing has provided one possible method of teaching classes to several campuses more efficiently. The School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Deakin University has used both room-based and desk-top video conferencing. This paper outlines how we have used video conference lectures in two of our third-year organic chemistry units. The teaching of chemistry requires the use of detailed chemical and technical imagery to depict the 3-dimensional structure of molecules, reaction schemes, and other chemical concepts. Normal (roombased) video conferencing provides a low-resolution visual link that is unsuitable for the transmission of such imagery.