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Free Webconferencing Tools

Posted on July 30, 2009

As you can see, web conferencing has featured heavily this month. Elluminate Live! is available for faculty at The University of Montana, but would be web conferencers needn’t shell out a penny for a live, online classroom. Indeed, instant messaging systems such as Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk as well as Voice over the Internet Providers like Skype can serve a number of the functions of web conferencing.

However, for those interested in venturing into the free web conferencing tool area, perhaps it is best to use a tool designed explicitly for the purpose, and I would say that the two most useful systems in this category are WiZiQ and dimdim.

WiZIQ’s initial appearance belies its web conferencing capabilities. It appears to be a social network where individuals can teach and be taught. However, a little closer inspection reveals that WiZiQ offers more than just the possibility of making a little money on the side. In fact, there is no need to participate in this aspect of the community. It is possible to schedule a session for whatever purposes you would like as long as you have become a member of the network.

Once you’ve joined, scheduling a session is easy. At the login page, select ‘schedule new class’.

Next, choose a title for your session and complete the date and time fields. Note that if you schedule a session for the current time, there is a short delay on entering the session. All sessions are private by default. You have to request to hold a public session or upgrade to premium services to be able to hold a public class. Click schedule and continue to go to the room.

One of the nice features of WizIQ is that it has very friendly interface. You can upload PowerPoint’s, PDFs, draw on the whiteboard, and send an invitation to join the meeting from the meeting room.

Dimdim also prides itself on it ease of use. Unlike WiziQ, dimdim avoids the commercial networking and focusses on delivering on demand sessions. Rather than paying for premium networking opportunities, Dimdim looks to make money from users by having them purchase advanced features.

Once you’ve signed up for dimdim scheduling a session is simple. You have the choice of two options: host a meeting or join a meeting.

Selecting host a meeting, will give you the option to start the session. Similar to WiziQ, you can invite participants to join your session when you have entered the room. Dimdim also has an easy to use interface. One notable feature is the ability to zoom in and out on content. The whiteboard, therefore, can appear to have depth.

Both of these systems have similar affordances and it is worthwhile visiting both to see which you prefer. Of course, you get what you pay for, so these systems are not as robust as Adobe Connect or AT&T Connect. However, they provide a means to utilize the potential benefits of web conferencing on a schedule that suits you. For those who do not have access to web conferencing through the University, it would be worth looking at both of these options.

Robert

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