 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Harold B. Weiss, MPH, PhD, Center for Injury Research and Control, University of Pittsburgh, 200 Lothrop St., Suite B400, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 412-648-9290, hw@injurycontrol.com
This presentation is an introduction to and demonstration of the vClass™ virtual classroom with a discussion of its uses for injury researchers and practitioners. vClass™ is a real-time, education, training, demonstration and collaboration meeting environment that works on a PC or Macintosh desktop over the Internet. Its potential uses includes (among others), broadcasting and developing a recording library of online seminars, hosting presentations, software training, organizing virtual open houses, conducting classes regionally and internationally, peer teaching, hosting online office hours, conducting web conferences with breakout rooms, conducting meetings and hosting EJournal clubs.
The cross-platform Java-based client software focuses on fostering controlled real-time (synchronous) interaction and includes the following features: Robust voice-over-IP, application sharing, multiple control roles, microphone control, strong moderator controls, participant feedback, emoticons, instant yes/no and multiple choice polling, break-out rooms, expel control, meeting locks, step out status, web tour, shared advanced whiteboard, ability to grab desktop content on-the-fly, low-bandwidth synchronization, web push, quiz and grading tools, flexible direct messaging, PowerPoint import, saving and printing content, session recording, auto-reconnect, easy meeting setup, and user/meeting management tools. This broad range of functionality and applicability within an easy-to-learn software interface enables professionals to train and collaborate more effectively and at less cost, on a local to a global scale.
This demonstration highlights some of these features. It also discusses and solicits ways researchers and practitioners might use this tool, and the others like it, as an important use and benefit of the increasingly ubiquitous connectivity facilitated by the Internet.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.