Educational Video Conferencing Best Practice : OZeLIVE2015
Channel: OZeLIVE Conference
Date: 2015-03-02

In 2014 I was privileged to undertake a Winston Churchill Fellowship to North America to visit 16 leading science museums, zoos, aquariums and school districts that use video and web conferencing technology to remote teach science globally. The fellowship looked at innovative ways video conference systems, tablets, desktop systems, smart phones and more are being used to teach science. 
  
 A few highlights were: 
  
 • Learning how to incorporate animated games & live dissections into marine biology video conferences at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles. 
  
 • Discovering robotic video conferencing technologies being used at the New York Hall of Science. 
  
 • Visiting Alaska to learn techniques in teaching ecology remotely at the Alaska SeaLife Center and Alaska Zoo. 
  
 • A trip into the Canadian badlands to learn how palaeontology is taught via Chroma key and games at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. 
  
 • Speaking with the talented team at the Centre for Interactive Learning & Collaboration in Indianapolis & the Central New York Regional Information Centre on video conferencing installation and best practices. 
  
 • Being immersed in the simulated learning environments at Rochester Challenger Learning Center and the Bathysphere Underwater Biological Laboratory plus spending time with the talented distance educators at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the International Spy Museum, Nina Mason Pulliam Ecolab and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Complex. 
  
 • Touring the Washington DC galleries & museums offered by the Smithsonian Institution and more. 
  
 • Participating in best practice discussions with many video conferencing content providers at a meeting at the Centre for Puppetry Arts and then meeting leaders of the educational video conferencing community at the International Society for Technology for Education conference in Atlanta. 
  
 The findings are appropriate for all; not only in formal science education or in distance learning but also those involved in improving aged care outcomes, community hub access, University teaching, hospital schools, juvenile justice sites and others interested in improving the quality of education in Australia. This session aims to give an overview into the findings with reference to their relevance to the Australian context. 

Ben Newsome is on the leadership team for the International Society for Technology in Education Interactive Video Conferencing group. Ben founded Fizzics Education in 2004 to deliver science education to audiences across eastern Australia and in 2010 he commenced educational video conferencing. In 2012 co-founded Virtual Excursions Australia which has now grown to include over 40 major cultural institutions and departmental distance education managers to create collaborative video conference events and to share tips and tricks on best practice. He is a qualified science teacher, former CSIRO education member, 2013 Churchill Fellow and 2014 CILC Pinnacle Award Winner. You can find Ben via Twitter on @bennewsome_ or via Fizzics Education on www.fizzicseducation.com.au

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