Videoconferencing: a virtual way to attend your meeting

Can’t make it into the office for that meeting?  Not a problem, thanks to videoconferencing systems.  A recent article from The Chronicle of Higher Education discusses how some college campuses are utilizing this technology more nowadays for their faculty meetings.  In hopes to save on costs, these virtual meetings offer staff members the option to participate in them without having to make a trip to campus.

New York University is one school currently using this videoconferencing technology to their advantage.  With its study-abroad posts scattered throughout the world, including one in construction in Abu Dhabi, NYU finds the videoconferencing capabilities quite beneficial and essential for faculty to remain connected.  Regular conference calls with officials from NYU’s 10 study-abroad offices accompany the video streams as well.  With more universities looking to expand their operations abroad, these virtual meetings will become more of a necessity in order for colleagues to create and facilitate an overseas dialogue for questions, ideas, and suggestions.  This form of communication will be vital for programs to develop, advance, and thrive.

With a growing interest in this technology, researchers are finding ways to improve the linkups to capture the various nuances of personal interactions that can get lost when face-to-face meetings do not happen.  Think holograms and stand-in robots!  These innovative features are expected to enhance one’s “telepresence” in the virtual meeting world.  For example, one stand-in robot is being developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  The robot will reflect the movements of the individual controlling it, while cameras inside of the robot transmit its view back to the operator.  The inspiration for this creation stems from Disney World’s “animatronics” concept that can be found throughout its various attractions.  However, the article also implies that holograms may be the more cost efficient option, for now at least.  Try and picture video being projected onto a spinning mirror, thus creating a more 3-D effect.  No special eyewear would be required.

Along with these specific technical aspects, one’s presence or “telepresence” needs to be fostered and accepted by others.  Openness towards technological advancements helps in this arena.  General videoconferencing (minus the robots and holograms) appears to be widely accepted by most, especially with the use of such popular software programs like Skype.  The utilization of video streaming is allowing colleagues to interact that are (a) on opposite sides of the world or (b) trying to reduce the number of commuter trips made to campus.  Whatever the reason may be, this medium is establishing another accessible mode of virtual connection.

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Photo by Mathieu Plourde, used under a Creative Commons license.