need perspective on skype

[woodsmoke]

Hi
I have been given the very very great honour of my college submitting my name to a national community college conference to give a presentation on my teaching methodology.

Surprisingly and out of the blue I had laid into my lap the opportunity to get scuba certified. I have arranged that I will give a class for my biology class from the boat in the Bahamas whereat I will do my open water dive certification.

I am literally stumbling through the developments.

The class will be conducted using my android phone and Skype which will be transmitted through the computer in my normal classroom and I will be able to interact with the students using audio and visual.

The absolutely outstanding coincidence is that the lecture that I would normally be giving at that time frame is on the deep water ocean environment. :0


I would really like to visit with someone who has extensive experience with Skype.

[dmeyer]

Hi
I have been given the very very great honour of my college submitting my name to a national community college conference to give a presentation on my teaching methodology.

Surprisingly and out of the blue I had laid into my lap the opportunity to get scuba certified. I have arranged that I will give a class for my biology class from the boat in the Bahamas whereat I will do my open water dive certification.

I am literally stumbling through the developments.

The class will be conducted using my android phone and Skype which will be transmitted through the computer in my normal classroom and I will be able to interact with the students using audio and visual.

The absolutely outstanding coincidence is that the lecture that I would normally be giving at that time frame is on the deep water ocean environment. :0


I would really like to visit with someone who has extensive experience with Skype.

What do you need to know? I use Skype all the time.

[woodsmoke]

Hi
thanks for the volunteering, I'll try to make it as painless as possible.

I will be using an Android Samsung, the next step up from the Galaxy S that I'm going to trade up for this month, on the physical boat itself.

I will use that to "transmit" to the tower in my lecture/lab room at the college.

The boat itself is a rather barebones affair, no computer on board, etc.

We will be "not far" from land but, apparently just far enough that the coverage for a phone will be "spotty", it is the Bahamas.

The people on the boat want to work with me on this because it will be a kewl thing for them, so in terms of letting me do the "class" they want to do it, just don't have much of a way to help.

The questions are about how well the hookup will work.

a) If I can establish, on the first day a "good connection", probably part way out to the dive area, is it inherently within the Skype "system" that that I "should" be able to do so again on the critical day?
b) The class, of course, lasts for an hour but all I really want to try to do is maye ten minutes.

Pursuant to that I plan to try to establish the hookup by calling the classroom at the very beginning of the time period so that I can make further attempts if it does not work.

c) Would it be better for the person monitoring the classrom to establish the connection?

d) I plan to get a phone that has a camera on both sides, if possible, so that the person on the boat, who will be using the phone, pointing it at me so that I can talk, and point to the ocean,etc. will be able to do a reasonable job of keeping it pointed at me.

e) In terms of me hearing the questions from students, as opposed to me "lecturing" should the sound quality be sufficiently good that I might use a physical wired, earphone so as to hear their questions. Or is there probably going to be a lot of ambient noise that will be picked up that will interfere with a question and answer?

f) Pursuant to that, if that is correct then possibly I should just do a "standup".

g) I don't really know about what is meant by "signal strength" out there, I assume the number of bars like here on the mainland.

If there is low signal strength, does that mean that I should maybe use the "Skype" phone for just video and possibly take a throw away card phone to physically call the physical phone in the room, and do a speakerphone thing and let Skype just handle video?

thanks for any comments.

woodsmoke

[whatthefunk]

Im really confused. If phone strength is bad, then Skype is probably going to be crap and a normal phone call will be equally bad. Id say this is maybe not such a good plan. Doing a lecture by phone from a place where you know that you will be getting a bad signal at best is asking for trouble.

[dmeyer]

Hi
thanks for the volunteering, I'll try to make it as painless as possible.

I will be using an Android Samsung, the next step up from the Galaxy S that I'm going to trade up for this month, on the physical boat itself.

I will use that to "transmit" to the tower in my lecture/lab room at the college.

The boat itself is a rather barebones affair, no computer on board, etc.

We will be "not far" from land but, apparently just far enough that the coverage for a phone will be "spotty", it is the Bahamas.

Weak signal means weak connection and a poor Skype performance. Video is the real bandwidth hog and voice only can be quite good even on really slow networks. Put it like this, if you get 3G then you will have good voice. IF you get HSDPA then you can have good video. Skype has good compression but its not magic - no signal means no skype.
The people on the boat want to work with me on this because it will be a kewl thing for them, so in terms of letting me do the "class" they want to do it, just don't have much of a way to help.

The questions are about how well the hookup will work.

a) If I can establish, on the first day a "good connection", probably part way out to the dive area, is it inherently within the Skype "system" that that I "should" be able to do so again on the critical day?

Huh? Rephrase.

b) The class, of course, lasts for an hour but all I really want to try to do is maye ten minutes.

Pursuant to that I plan to try to establish the hookup by calling the classroom at the very beginning of the time period so that I can make further attempts if it does not work.

What is the question. Again, huh? Rephrase.

c) Would it be better for the person monitoring the classrom to establish the connection?

Doesn't matter who calls who. As long as the other device is active and somebody is there to answer the call then it will work.

d) I plan to get a phone that has a camera on both sides, if possible, so that the person on the boat, who will be using the phone, pointing it at me so that I can talk, and point to the ocean,etc. will be able to do a reasonable job of keeping it pointed at me.

I don't know? How bumpy will the seas be? Skype does no image stabilization, only image adjustment for colours, contrast, quality etc. Again, this question is awkward.

e) In terms of me hearing the questions from students, as opposed to me "lecturing" should the sound quality be sufficiently good that I might use a physical wired, earphone so as to hear their questions. Or is there probably going to be a lot of ambient noise that will be picked up that will interfere with a question and answer?

Skype is pretty good at noise cancelling. The ambient noise might not be the issue. The issue will probably lie in the microphone on their side. If its pointed at them it would help immensely because then they are less likely to be considered ambient noise and filtered out. A decent microphone would do a good job covering the room if it isn't too large, people speak one by one and clearly articulate themselves. Your side should be fine microphone wise. You'll be able to hear them fine but maybe wearing headphones might help cancel out ambient noise like the splashing of waves. All depends on your hearing.

f) Pursuant to that, if that is correct then possibly I should just do a "standup".

What? Seriously, you need to practice asking specific and direct questions. I have no clue what this means.

g) I don't really know about what is meant by "signal strength" out there, I assume the number of bars like here on the mainland.

Signal strength is basically the quality of your internet connection. Skype displays bars which is representative of your cnnection with the other party. If either side is weak then you will have a weak connection; however, in this case the quality of the cellphone reception you get on the boat and the ISP's network will be the limiting factor.

If there is low signal strength, does that mean that I should maybe use the "Skype" phone for just video and possibly take a throw away card phone to physically call the physical phone in the room, and do a speakerphone thing and let Skype just handle video?

You can't really do just video. If the signal is weak your best bet would be to just do voice only over Skype.

P.S. How are you intending to connect to the internet? WiFi on the boat? Cellphone? Carrier pidgeons? An ethernet cable running to the mainland? DSL?

[woodsmoke]

Hi guys thanks VERY much for the input.

Sorry about the confusion over terminology.

By "standup", I mean that I could, at my leisure, somehwere in the nearby area just do a short "talk" while on the boat, and record it and then put that video/audio recording somewhere like on Box.

I think what I did not make clear is that the tower computer in the room is hooked into a projector so that the students should be able to see the skype call on a screen.

However, I really do want to at least try doing a live video/audio, basically, because it would be great fun and the students are definitely on board with it and it would probably be "maybe" a first, in that I have not seen this particular thing posted on the net to where I, could at least, find it.

The other thing is that since this will be the very first of what I hope to be a series of such things, I really do want to record it, also.

According to the Skype forums this cannot, is not, done, apparently for privacy reasons, and that is a good thing.

So, I will need to work with the IT people to get a proper video recording software on the tower in the room. It is all very much a control issue for them because they are always fearful of even the "appearance" to a bureaucrat that they might have allowed the download of a software that could cause problems.

It might be that just a screen recorder would do the job but then one gets into CPU power and memory, the machines in the rooms are pretty weak in the knees.

AN ALTERNATE plan that I had originally envisioned was to have some kind of "video link", I didn't really know what, I would have to have the same software on the phone and on the hardware back in the room, and again, installing anything extra would be a problem.

And then to do the voice using another cell phone, and talking to the students with the landline phone in the room, using the speaker phone function.

There would probably be some kind of lag time.

The comment about it not mattering from whence the phone called is placed is very helpful also.

So, it would seem that the plan of action would be to thoroughly practice, with the person who would be substituting in the class:

a) establishing a video, with audio, call from my cell phone to the classroom here where I work/live and vice-versa.
b) get the routine thoroughly down for both ends, and write down precisely what is to be done in case that the possibility of the substitute not being able to be there arises and anybody should be able to step in and take over.

The really critical thing is establishing the link sometime very near the first of the hour during when the students will physically be in class, however, then one gets into "antsyness", I can provide some "work" for them to do while waiting for the call but that will get old quickly.

The critical thing again, will be getting it done quickly and efficiently.

c) The next step would then be to go through the same procedure there in the Bahamas on the ground, and then on the first trip out, since that will be on a Saturday.

In that way we can see if a proper link can be established.

d) as a backup plan, if that does not work I could try, on the Sunday trip(s) to use seperate phones. One for the video and one for the audio, although there would be a concomittent lag between the image and sound.

e) I'm doing this "on the cheap" because it was all, literally, plopped into my lap only two weeks ago.

f) If it works in ANY way, shape, form, or fashion two things will result from that.

i) the students will become more engaged and should be more successful at learning any of the material, since engagement is the critical thing.
ii) if it works in ANY way, I will then write a grant, or maybe just get donations, and do the thing with "better equipment" the next semester.

What would be a result much to be desired would be to, next semester, set up a Kubuntu laptop with the IT people and do the projection from it next semester just as a "proof of concept".

Again thanks and if there are ANY other comments that might be helpful I would greatly appreciate them being posted.

woodsmoke

[whatthefunk]

There is tons of info about conferencing via skype. Just one example of the several hundreds that I found:
http://ideas.4brad.com/guide-meeting...nference-skype

[woodsmoke]

Hi folks.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH....for your input.....

It WAS READ by the "IT admins" at the college..... because they are ...very "brittle" about anything that is "not within the system"......

WE ACTUALLY DID A HARDWARE test this last week using my Verizon Galaxy SIII smartphone.....the computer in my laboratory/classroom....we do not "do"...."lectures".....we..."do"....walking the walk and talking the talk....

and it worked marvy...

the place where I am to "dive" will do a hardware linkup this coming week...

and your information provided REAL....USEable...information for the IT people....

the actual "president of the college" said that his "360 degree" camera should be made available for my classroom so that the students will have a camera trained automatically on she or he to ask a question graciously offered .....

it MAY ALL BE FOR NAUGHT....the towers in the Bahamas may not actually provide the requisite signal strength...

so the IT people have set up a "speaker phone" system...so that I can have the lab assistant....a young woman of REMARKABLE qualities...if anyone wants a REAL....lab assistant, as opposed to a politically correct one feel free to contact me....

conduct "the deed"...

HEY...THANK YOU!!!!

woodgratefulsmoke

[mastablasta]

WE ACTUALLY DID A HARDWARE test this last week using my Verizon Galaxy SIII smartphone.....the computer in my laboratory/classroom....we do not "do"...."lectures".....we..."do"....walking the walk and talking the talk....

and it worked marvy...

if course it worked marvy, because the nodes were close.

now try to connect someone in island country with 3G access and where the island has poor main internet cable (ok not sure how good main cabel bahamas have but anyway...)... it will be strange.... nodes will be far apart.

fro example if i make a call from EU to Indonesia i have to do it at specific time when their IT infrastructure is not loaded so much. Only then i get clear voice and video. Ok Bahamas is much closer to you than .id is to me. But still.... if you can try to get a colleage connect using 3G from bahamas to you.at the time you have a lecture scheduled. see how it goes. next if it's relatively good then imagine the phone signal in Bahamas is weak as you are on a boat.

[woodsmoke]

thank you very much mastablasta
We have now done three "dry runs" one of which was from a person in the Bahamas...on land of course...testing the towers strength.

I have a student who will also make an attempt to "get a call" from me using a "stock Ubuntu" install as a dual partition on a laptop in my physical lecture room at the campus.

Lotsa fun....and I hope to show that "Linux" can be the "equal" of "Windblows" as far as Skype is concerned.

I'm not thinking much about the "IT" people who are locked into windblows contractually....

but.... 70 students who may, by word of mouth, say....hey that Linux Laptop connected as well as windows....

but who am I, just an old hardware guy in the great scheme of things...soon to be lost in the sands of time.... by the way...where IS the Dom?

woodsmoke

[dmeyer]

thank you very much mastablasta
We have now done three "dry runs" one of which was from a person in the Bahamas...on land of course...testing the towers strength.

I have a student who will also make an attempt to "get a call" from me using a "stock Ubuntu" install as a dual partition on a laptop in my physical lecture room at the campus.

Lotsa fun....and I hope to show that "Linux" can be the "equal" of "Windblows" as far as Skype is concerned.

I'm not thinking much about the "IT" people who are locked into windblows contractually....

but.... 70 students who may, by word of mouth, say....hey that Linux Laptop connected as well as windows....

but who am I, just an old hardware guy in the great scheme of things...soon to be lost in the sands of time.... by the way...where IS the Dom?

woodsmoke

Skype on Linux is not even remotely as good as Skype on the other platforms. Its old, the UI is dated, it doesn't use integrated notifications and is just not as polished an experience.

[woodsmoke]

SKYPE on the Bahamas end did not work because the government, VERY RIGHTLY....has a "closed ecosystem" for very nice cell phones for the locals that are "about a generation behind the U.S." but MORE than workable for the Bahamas.

The Sheraton...as one walks in..on the right side of the entryway....has THRE BIG BLACK STEEL dial/put in your quarters....phones...

the only "external to the island" cell phone coverage is AT THE BAR.....

So...even though the junior college BENT OVER BACKWARDS to enable SKYPE...rotating camera that would "seek" the speaker, etc. in the laboratory...sad to say...

The Bahama end was limited in the extreme...

So...I did a "speaker phone" lecture and had "question and answer" as attended by my WONDERFUL YOUNG LADY laboratory assistant....and it was all great fun!

Hey thanks for the input....not SKYPs problem...but a closed system(WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE LOCALS) problem.

woodthankyouallsmoke

[dmeyer]

That's a pity. Oh well, at least you tried.

[woodsmoke]

Hi dmeyer.

I was really AGONIZING over whether or not I should take the lappy that has Kubuntu on it and that I could maybe take a pic of the lappy on the beach with the ocean behind it.

But, just as well I didn't because it would have just been "running" not interacting with the net or anything.

woodsmoke