Educational Uses of

What is Skype?

•      An Internet Protocol connection service provider that offers free calling between subscribers and low cost calling to people that do not use the service.

•      Enables file transfers, texting, video chat and videoconferencing.

•      The service is available through desktop computers, laptop computers, and mobile phones.

•      The website offers easy set-up and excellent audio quality.

•      To communicate through Skype a headset and/or microphone is needed, as well as computer system speakers.

Source:

(Glushakow-Smith, 2009)

Video Explanation of Skype:

Skype Explained Visually (SayItVisually, 2009)

How to use Skype in an Educational Setting

     Skype can be utilized in the classroom and other educational settings in the following ways:

• Teachers can use Skype to communicate their classroom with classrooms in other schools, states, and even countries.
• Teachers can communicate with other teachers about lessons, and also with parents about matters regarding their child's academic performance.
• Library staff can speak directly with students in need of assistance for research and other library inquiries.
• Teachers can also communicate with their students at designated times to discuss assignments, classroom instruction or personal matters that can affect learning in the classroom.
• Students can use Skype in the classroom to converse with guest speakers of various topics within a given curriculum.

Source:

(Teaching online, 2010)

(Foote, 2008)

Examples of Skype in Education

     Here are some examples of using Skype in education:

• Yale professor, Mary Barr, teaches a course on Race, Education, and Class. Barr incorporated Skype videoconferencing in the classroom to promote interactive participation amongst her students. Barr showed the film, "Hoop Dreams" (in demonstration of societal tendencies to vocationally track students) and contacted the film's executive producer, Gordon Quinn, for a video conference with her class. The students prepared for the conference by creating questions and comments for Quinn to respond to. The video conference allowed Quinn to be in his office in Chicago while speaking with students at Yale University, providing insight to the film that the class viewed. According to Barr, the students participated in their own learning and became more invested in what they were doing through Skype's interactive means. Source: (Wilcox, 2009)

   

•   Fourth grade teacher, Mr. Crosby, of Sparks, Nevada used Skype to include a student that left the class due to illness. A student of Crosby's class was afflicted with leukemia and was instructed to begin an at-home form of education; missing on the in-class experience. Crosby used Skype and a webcam device to allow the student to communicate with himself and the student's classmates, as well as see the classroom instruction that took place. By enabling Skype, the student was able to better understand the work they did from home.  Source: (Jaanus, 2007)

   

• Eighth grade teacher, Matt Montagne, of the University School of Milwaukee created an interactive forum for himself and the parents of his students using Skype. He instructed the parents to watch a PBS special entitled "Growing Up Online." As they watched, Montagne had organized a Skype chat that allowed the parents to chat with the teacher about their reactions to the program. Skype allowed an opportunity for a teacher to enagage with parents about important issues without having to meet in a classroom. Source: (Montagne, 2008)

   

• Student Wong Voon Fei of Kuala Lumpur's Sri Cempaka school, along with many others, was instructed to vacate school premises for five days due to several cases of H1N1. Fei still had a week's worth of school work to complete and turn in, so he turned to Skype in order to communicate with his teachers about impending assignments. He met virtually, along with other students, for online instruction. Through Skype, students and teachers were able to continue through lessons and work, in spite of the closing of the school. Source: (Star Online, 2009)

•  50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom

   http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Video Examples of Skype in Education

Skyping in the Spanish Classroom (Cositas, 2008)

Our Skype Call with the Gems (Cassidy, 2009)

Why use Skype?  

Here are some advantages to using Skype in the classroom:

• It is a convenient form of communication among different relationships within an educational setting (teacher-to teacher, student-to-teacher, parent-to-teacher, etc.)
• It is a cost effective way to allow students to experience different cultures, different classrooms, or areas of interest within a given subject (i.e. field trips) without having to leave the school or classroom. 
• Guest lecturers are able to visit a class and provide insight to areas of instruction without having to travel to the school to speak. 
• Students that tend to be shy when it comes to participation in class can feel comfortable speaking through this form of communication, whether it be to teachers or guest lecturers.
• Teachers and staff can be more readily available to answer any questions about assignments or other matters from the comfort of their home or office.

Source: (Foote, 2008)

(Wilcox, 2009)

Here are some possible disadvantages to using Skype in the classroom:

• If a web based camera is used in the classroom, children may become preoccupied with where the camera is instead of participating in in-depth conversations through Skype.
• The bandwidth used for Skype is large and may cause issues for public computers (i.e. school computers), such as slow performance.
• Security on the web may also be a factor for students using Skype; teachers will have to take the time to create special accounts for the class to use only.

Source: (Foote, 2008)

(Star Online, 2009)

(Wilcox, 2009)

Links: Additional Information on Educational Uses of Skype

http://www.wtvi.com/teks/05_06_articles/skype-in-the-classroom.html

http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/02/15/the-many-roles-of-skype-in-the-classroom/

http://www.isteconnects.org/2010/04/26/a-teaching-moment-using-skype-in-the-classroom/

http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/367

http://ittwiki.northstar.k12.ak.us/@api/deki/files/277/=Using_Skype_in_the_Classroom.pdf

Resources

Images

Sentementes, G. (2009). Ebay sells 65% stake in skype to investor group. [Article] Retrieved May 1, 2010 from: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/technology/skype.jpg

Simpson elementary. [Animation] (2006). Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://www.harcoboe.com/ses/uploads/Image/animated_computer_student_3%281%29.gif 

Video

Cassidy, K. (Producer). (2009). Our Skype call with the gems. [Web]. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAOBAq7ACGY&feature=related

Cositas, Ms. (Producer). (2008). Skyping in the spanish classroom. [Web]. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZdhahgUKE

SayItVisually. (Producer). (2009). Skype explained visually. [Web]. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1mflr-kQlk

Research

Foote, C. (2008, January 1). See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom. School Library Journal, Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6515247.html

Glushakow-Smith, S. (2009, September 4). Skype-Definition. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from: http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid186_gci1050583,00.html

Jaanus, . (2007, April 26). Inclusion-helping a classmate join the classroom from home. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from: http://blogs.skype.com/en/2007/04/inclusion_helping_a_classmate.html

Montagne, M. (2008, January 24). Innovative teacher uses skype and wikis to involve parents. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://www.classroomblogging.com/innovative-teacher-uses-skype-and-wikis-to-involve-parents.html

Star Online, . (2009, June 25). Students using skype to contact their teachers for homework and lessons. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/25/nation/4188033&sec=nation

Teaching online, . (2010). 50 awesome ways to use skype in the classroom. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from: http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Wilcox, M. (2009, February 18). Videoconferencing in the classroom with skype. Retrieved May 2, 2010 from: http://clc.yale.edu/2009/02/18/videoconferencing-in-the-classroom-with-skype/

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom | Teaching Degree.org. (n.d.). . Retrieved from http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/