National Teleconferencing Standards

During the years that teleconferencing has emerged as a viable educational method, efforts have been made to set teleconferencing standards. The scope of past efforts was not large enough to encompass a representative sample of the professional teleconferencing population. Because the field was still emerging and experimenting with methods, a consensus could not be gained about what elements were inherent in a teleconference for quality standards to be set. As the successful model of a quality teleconference emerged through trial and error, more producers entered the field and some produced bad teleconferences. Few refunds were made and teleconferencing professionals acted like consumers and avoided them. The problem still exists because new organizations are entering the field as receive sites. Because a few bad teleconferences can ruin teleconferencing for a campus or for a corporation, the need for quality standards has increased.

Teleconferencing professionals undertook this study to provide the field with quality standards that teleconferences should meet in order to minimally satisfy the market.

This research (Lane, 1990) ultimately led to the Program Standards adopted by the National University Teleconferencing Network (NUTN) which received the award from Teleconference Magazine for Most Significant Advance in Distance Learning Overall (1991).

Method

The study took place over a period of one year during which a survey was developed which consisted of about 200 preliminary statements. It was sent to 250 NUTN members. A Delphi two-round method was used as it allowed for group process and expert input. Approximately 50 statements did not meet the first round 50 percent retention figure. The second round retention figure was 84 percent which further reduced the number of statements to 81. The interquartile deviation showed that consensus had been reached and that further rounds would not be productive.

The population (n=100) consisted of NUTN teleconferencing professionals (receive site coordinators and administrators) and originators.

Conclusions

Based upon the results of the research, a teleconference provider would have to meet at least 85 percent of the criteria in each section to meet these quality standards.

How to Use This Study

Receive Sites

In selecting teleconferences, use this form to review the teleconference before signing the contract. If it does not meet these minimal quality standards, contact the producers to determine the needs it will meet.

Originators

These are the minimal standards that receive sites say they need and which producers say that they can meet. In preparing your next teleconference, the form should be useful in helping you create a teleconference that meets current quality standards for the industry.

A. Initial Program Offering Announcement

(Requires seven of the eight points to comply with standards)

    1. Identifies originator's name, facility, location, C-and/or Ku-band delivery.
    2. Timely, cutting-edge content which is not widely available in literature or offered extensively via seminars.
    3. Developed with receive sites or other groups (via surveys, etc.) to steer development, states the need for program and how the need was determined.
    4. Narrowly focused and clearly defines target audience. Provides moderator's and presenter's credentials (content expertise and media experience).
    5. Describes format in detail (live, tape, panel, etc.), content level and knowledge prerequisites for participants.
    6. Provides thorough wraparound recommendations so that facilitators without content expertise can easily adapt the materials without major research and planning.
    7. Contract includes: broadcast date/times by time zone; fees for member, non-member, per head/site/multi-site; transmission methods; copyright release for taping and printing with use restrictions and fees; and cancellation policy and fees. Includes a summary of rights in the offering brochure, contract and facilitator's guide.
    8. Will provide a consortium with a sample tape of video work for screening prior to final endorsement.

B. Production

(Requires eight of the nine points to comply with standards)

    1. Production format is content driven and developed in conjunction with instructional designers.
    2. Production professionals with appropriate training and experience in their areas of responsibility will be utilized in all key roles.
    3. Production will have high production values.
    4. Designed for TV and not just cameras pointed at "talking heads" or "old boy" discussions.
    5. Graphics designed for TV (no overheads, flip charts, transparencies unless carefully designed for TV).
    6. Will use short taped segments to enhance content; produced with professional broadcast equipment.
    7. Will adhere to published agenda times.
    8. Breaks will be 15 minutes long and scheduled at least once every 90 minutes.
    9. Program's pace and variety will maintain high interest.

C. Educational Objectives

(Requires eight of the nine points to comply with standards)

    1. Program design is content driven and developed by an instructional designer or design team.
    2. Will state outcomes, goals, objectives, content level, informational or instructional program (college degree credit or CEUs which provide specific learning experiences and skill transfer).
    3. Instructional programs will provide exercises, small group work and ways to apply content during the program and wraparound.
    4. Instructional objectives will state the specific learning outcomes which participants will be able to achieve after viewing the teleconference and participating in the wraparound. (Ex. Participants will learn how to ____and apply ____. They will learn the skills of ____, ____.)
    5. Content will be clearly and narrowly focused with a definite purpose aimed at specific target groups so that participants have a clear sense of a learning experience.
    6. Instructional programs should use adult education teaching methods which provide ways to interact, apply knowledge immediately, work in small groups and openly participate in the learning experience (for program and wraparound).
    7. Will use a variety of presentation techniques to reach the participants' varied learning styles (visual, auditory, experiential, tactile).
    8. Activities and/or presentation methods will help participants apply and/or integrate the new knowledge with existing information.
    9. If the video is longer than two hours, consider a program series, a more narrow focus or use longer breaks for site content exercises to help participants assimilate and apply the information.

D. Presenters

(Requires four of the four points to comply with standards)

    1. Presenters will be selected for their unique and recognized content expertise and presentation skills; describe organization's background which they represent.
    2. Additional consideration will be given to any unique credibility that the presenter has.
    3. Presenters will demonstrate professional presentation skills whether or not they are nationally recognized in their area of content expertise.
    4. Moderator will have content expertise and professional broadcast experience, control the program (stop long-winded answers and interruptions, keep to the scheduled time and agenda) and help participants accept a less experienced content expert.

E. Participant's Handout

(Requires ten of the twelve points to comply with standards)

    1. Participant's handout will be provided.
    2. Will provide each registered site with one camera-ready copy of excellent quality on white paper four weeks before the program. Send by Federal Express to Canadian sites.
    3. Will key the handout to the program agenda and print in that sequence. Participant's handout will include (35-42):
    4. Agenda (times listed by time zones for segments, call-ins, breaks), conceptual synopsis, presenters' brief biographies, segment names with content synopsis, format (panel, interview, lecture, tape, etc.).
    5. Form to explain call-in process and write questions.
    6. Major graphics used in video with explanations of how they are used in the program.
    7. Graphics appropriate for photocopy (line drawings - not half tones).
    8. Sufficiently detailed handout material for the content.
    9. Ways to apply information during the program (exercises), wraparound and in self-study after the broadcast.
    10. Presenters' bibliographies and additional bibliography.
    11. Quality photocopies of copyrighted materials (newspaper/magazine clippings, pages from books, reports, etc.) and convey duplication rights (if any).
    12. Order form for materials to be offered (books, tapes, software, reprints, etc.) with price and payment method.

F. Interactive Segments

(Requires 13 of the 15 points to comply with standards)

    1. Sites will not get telephone busy signals.
    2. Will use telephone bridge (one line per 10 sites) or a minimum of four call-in lines with ring-down circuits (incoming calls automatically transfer to the next line when the main line is busy).
    3. Will utilize alternative methods to receive questions - FAX, computer, etc.
    4. Will describe equipment used for call-ins, how calls will be handled, Q&A process and how to avoid audio feedback.
    5. Will announce upcoming Q&A and time allotted.
    6. Will use operators who are familiar with content to screen and/or take questions.
    7. Will allow sites to call in questions continuously to content experts who screen and write them down.
    8. Will screen calls to ensure that previously asked questions are not asked again or that questions which trivialize the content will not be aired.
    9. Will answer all questions - phone in and those sent in after the conference (computer, FAX, audio conference or send a written answer.)
    10. All panelists will not respond to every question.
    11. If sufficient calls suggest that a segment is unclear, clarification will be provided on air before continuing.
    12. Will use calls/questions which strongly agree or disagree with presenters or which ask for amplification.
    13. Interaction will help program flow and not lose pace through bad or duplicate questions and feedback from inexperienced callers.
    14. Interaction will be conducted with content experts who can be effective in an interactive dialogue.
    15. Will provide a method to contact the presenter for clarification after the program.

G. Facilitator's Guide

(Requires three of the three points to comply with standards)

    1. A facilitator's guide will be sent to registered sites 12 weeks prior to the teleconference.
    2. Will not assume content knowledge by facilitator.
    3. Will provide clear and specific information on how to market this teleconference.

H. Wraparound

(Requires four of the five points to comply with standards)

    1. Will provide approaches for wraparound in initial program offering. Wraparound materials will include (62-65):
    2. Ways to help facilitator localize information.
    3. Suggested appropriate experience and expertise to aid in selecting local wraparound panelists or presenters.
    4. Suggested activities which include small group exercises.
    5. Wraparound discussion questions.

I. Technical

(Requires three of the three points to comply with standards)

    1. Production: audio, video, phone interfaces, tape/studio segments, transmission, etc. - should meet or exceed National Association of Broadcasters' engineering standards.
    2. Will display trouble messages (when possible) and an estimate of how long it will take to correct the problem.
    3. Will not schedule program during known solar outage periods or, if scheduled, will state in initial program offering and provide flexible site activities in case of disruption.

J. Marketing

(Requires ten of the twelve points to comply with standards)

    1. Marketing information will be received by registered sites 12 weeks before the program.
    2. Will provide clear definition of the target and secondary audience (age, minimum education level, job experience, prerequisite courses, skills or required understanding).
    3. Will state benefits that will accrue to the participants.
    4. Will provide professional marketing materials with space for the site's local information. Marketing materials will include (73-80):
    5. Presenter's credentials (experience, associations, professional organizations, etc.).
    6. Target group marketing letters asking for participation.
    7. Newspaper advertisements (camera ready).
    8. Brochures with copy (objectives, benefits, brief presenters' biographies, etc.) for #10 envelope or self-mailers (camera ready).
    9. Print marketing materials will be camera-ready.
    10. Suggestions (with contact names/addresses) for groups or companies to underwrite the program (Chamber of Commerce, SBA, etc.).
    11. Specific target audiences and how to locate them; names of professional organizations, associations and demographic data about the target participants; contact names/addresses for mailing lists.
    12. During breaks, will run lists of upcoming teleconferences emphasizing the types of conferences in which the same target audience might be interested.


Scoring Form
Teleconference
Standards		 Possible
Points		 Required
Points		 Total
Points		 Standard
Met
A. Initial Program Offering
Announcement

8

7

___

Yes No
B. Production

9

8

___

Yes No
C. Educational Objectives

9

8

___

Yes No
D. Presenters

4

4

___

Yes No
E. Participant's Handout

12

10

___

Yes No
F. Interactive Segments

15

13

___

Yes No
G. Facilitator's Guide

3

3

___

Yes No
H. Wraparound

5

4

___

Yes No
I. Technical

3

3

___

Yes No
J. Marketing

12

10

___

Yes No
Totals

80

70

___

Yes No

from "A Technical Guide to Teleconferencing and Distance Learning," 3rd edition