Has anyone here taken a webinar? If so, could you relate your experience.

[mmonk]

I'm signed up for one and am wondering how it works.

[Poiuyt]

1. I've taken a couple

I always have a hard time staying awake

[mediaman007]

5. I agree. Mine was slow moving and I had a difficult time

getting on the same page (so to speak) as the instructor. I found it to be about 5 notches worse than a live PowerPoint presentation. But that was a year ago.

I would assume that people would be getting more experience and improving the delivery of their presentations.

[mmonk]

7. What was your connection?

[mediaman007]

8. I'm not I.T., so I can't speak to the specifics.

It seemed that we had a audio connection and a then we logged on to a website that the presenter was using. I recall that there was a lag in voice communication.

[mmonk]

9. Thanks. I am supposed to be sent something before it begins

and I have heard we are supposed to have an open phone line. I have Road Runner (both data and phone).

[MissB]

11. A mute option is a good idea

Hard to stay quiet through the whole non-interactive part of the webinar.

[mmonk]

13. I hadn't thought about that. But you're right, it will be hard to stay

completely silent.

[tigereye]

25. yeah, I kept hoping no one heard my sarcastic comments and swearing

during especially dull and bureaucratic parts of one I had to take for work.

[dflprincess]

2. If the initial hook up goes smoothly it should be okay

that sometimes seems to be the weak spot. But I'll confess to having some problems staying focused - but maybe it was the subject matter.

[mmonk]

4. This one is supposed to be interactive the second half of the class

with call ins and networking. I suppose that will keep me awake. However, what connection problems arise? Bad video and audio?

[Stinky The Clown]

3. They're easy

Some are just lectures at you. Some are interactive. Some are really meetings with everyone allowed to talk at will on an open phone line.

[mmonk]

6. This one will be a combination. The first half, she lectures

and the second half, interactive I am told.

[MissB]

10. I watch one every other month or so

(it's how I get my professional development hours needed for my professional license)

Usually I'm in a room with a couple of other folks, watching the feed on a screen. We hook up a projector to the laptop. Some organizations run their webinar sound through the internets and some give you the option of dialing in via phone.

Ours are usually split into three subparts, where the end of each part is a Q&A session. Questions are submitted through a dialog box on the computer.

[mmonk]

12. Thanks for that information.

My CE classes are different than all this in that I take them in person and by computer but the computer ones are not live. So this is a first for me (and it isn't related to my profession). It did mention an open phone line though.

[TygrBright]

14. The one I attended was a direct audio hookup via a website.

The audio feed came through the computer, a window with the presentation occupied 3/4 of the screen, and the right-hand quarter of the screen had a window where we could type in questions, and where polls would pop up from time to time as the panel or moderator cued them.

The moderator introduced the main speaker, who made about a 20-minute presentation using Powerpoint, then the moderator relayed some questions that attendees had typed in during the presentation, then there was a poll, then a panel was introduced. Each of the three panelists was introduced with a short (2 minutes?) slide show, and then the panel did some polls and took questions from the attendees, and the poll results were discussed.

We were emailed the presentation slides and a transcript of the Q&As a couple of days later.

It wasn't bad, it wasn't great. There was material that had to be covered and they covered it reasonably effectively. Not a fascinating topic but a necessary one. The whole thing was about 45 minutes.

informatively,
Bright

[mmonk]

15. Thanks Bright.

I hope the audio comes through the computer but there was mention of a phone line I guess, for the interactive part.

[Betty88]

19. All the ones I'v taken never needed a phone

I have a microphone set up on my computer for gaming and the sound comes over the speakers. You can also get a inexpensive microphone and headset combo, just remember to set up your mic (google set up my mike + your OS)before you log in, its not hard.

[mmonk]

21. Yeah I'm not sure how the phone situation is even supposed to work.

[Betty88]

22. I have used the phone option when at work

I call in on an 800 number then bring up a website for the class. At work they don't provide microphones for us as we don't need them very often, I put the phone on speaker and go about my day, if you had to hold a phone for hours that would suck.

[mmonk]

23. Yes, it would.

I'll have to see how this shakes out.

[Common Sense Party]

16. I give them all the time.

Technologically, they can be dicey. But they're a lifesaver for me.

[geek_sabre]

17. I've been to ~100, given a few myself

I've invested in a nice microphone to make the most of it, as it has been a great addition to my (optional) professional development. I attend/give webinars related to education, science, and technology in ed.

I've nearly always used the Elluminate platform, which allows anything from straight lecture to complete interactivity (with whiteboard, polling application sharing, etc). It rarely has an "open mic," and individuals always have to turn on mic in program to speak.

I attended one "GotoMeeting," which was fine. Also attended 1-2 others that were call-in, but can't remember what it was. Both of these were "required" for one reason or another, and probably why I avoid these particular platforms. Nothing wrong with them, inherently, I find Elluminate just works very well for me, 100% over computer.

[mmonk]

20. Thanks

[2Design]

18. mods this does not belong in du lounge n/t

[tigereye]

24. it was fine- it was only 2 hours though.

Kind of sterile? without the visuals, but informative nonetheless. I don't know if I could sit through one that was all day.