Web Conferencing

With Skype not being an option, our Group #4 chatted about different web conference tools, and Chris suggested we try Google+ Hangout. Since I hadn't used this tool before, I was more than happy to try it, as I like to at least try out new tools so I can compare them and select from the one(s) that I like the best.

Hangout is fairly easy to use, once you have signed in to Google+. Using the people that you have added to your circles, you can invite them to meet with you, and they are provided a link to the online conference.

Our Leadership Project team met using this tool, after determining that weekends around 9 (either AM or PM) would work, as out group members are roughly 12 hours apart.

We spent a couple of minutes getting used to the available options (chat, video settings - where you can select your video camera and audio source) and then we used the rest of the time to work on our group Brainstorming. I had a brief issue on my end with my audio, due to having both a webcam (with microphone) and headset with mic that were both active at the same time. I had to address this issue, drop out of the hangout and then re-enter, in order to properly see and hear Iman and Chris.

Since this is a Google app, it integrates with other Google tools, including a Google doc that I set up to list our group assignments, deadlines, comments, Q & A, etc. I really doubt we would have been able to accomplish as much had we been limited to a texting/chat tool. Chris was able to record a portion of our conference, which allowed me to go back and listen to what was said again. We also have the option to share our screen, and can thus highlight important details that the other viewers on the conference can see while we narrate through it. This is a very helpful feature when "words alone" aren't enough.

At work I use "Teamviewer" to remote connect to my users that are having technical PC/software) issues. I'm not sure yet how I might incorporate a web conferencing
tool in a support role, especially if my WPP is successful to create vidcasts that instruct on the use of our business software.

We do plan to use this Hangout tool for recurring group webcasts, and I now feel that I can comfortably and accurately use the tool and its settings to effectively communicate with my other group members.

Here are a couple of screen shots from our group Hangout: