![]() A user must create a Hangout, invite participants and then begin the conference.Īrticle by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor While the video quality is good, it isn’t as good as Skype’s.īecause Google Hangouts provides for multiple participants, it doesn’t allow for single-click conferencing. High-need apps, like those that project funny hats on participants’ heads, can cause dramatic lag and even frozen screens. The more apps a user adds to his/her Hangout, the slower the connection gets. If a team member can’t join the hangout, users can also dial the person in by clicking on the “Invite” button and then the “+telephone” link. To access these, simply click the “Add app” button inside the Hangout to browse and add new apps. Google Hangouts provides a suite of productivity apps that let users share what’s on their screen, collaborate in Google Docs, view presentations and diagram together. In contrast to Skype, Google Hangouts allows many more active participants-up to 10 devices can be connected to a single meeting. The video is decent quality, as is the audio. ![]() Once users have an account, they can build their contacts list and begin hosting Hangouts. Like Skype, Google Hangouts is very easy to install and set up, especially if you already have a Google account. ![]() Because only two devices can be connected at one time, this dramatically limits the number of people who can participate in the call.Īlso, there is no screen-sharing feature, meaning a user cannot share with attendees a view of his or her computer screen. Skype is a person-to-person video conferencing tool. Teachers can see what other classrooms are doing over a Skype video call, and students can share ideas and collaborate on projects, too. Skype in the Classroom is a free, global community for teachers to connect, find partner classes, discover new cultures and share inspiration. Skype also offers an education-specific product. The audio is crisp, and there is very limited echo. The connection is clean and fluid (provided users are connected to a reasonably solid Internet source). With a single click on the contact, a videoconference begins. If a contact is online and available to talk, an icon attached to his/her profile turns green. Once users have an account, they can build their contacts list by finding people they know who also have Skype accounts. The basic version of Skype is easy to install and operate. EducationWorld has examined both apps and compiled a list of pros and cons for each platform when it comes to integrating this technology into the classroom. While similar in concept, Hangouts differs from Skype in several respects. This year, Google announced it was going after that title with the release of Google Hangouts. This performance upgrade and platform expansion quickly positioned Skype as the go-to app for free videoconferencing. In the beginning, there was Skype, and while those first years were filled with choppy connections and pixilated video, the conferencing software was eventually ironed out and expanded to include mobile versions. ![]() Google HangoutsĪs Google Hangouts attempts to cut in on Skype’s market dominance, what was once a no-brainer decision-which tool to use for free video conferencing-is now more of a choice. Videoconferencing in the Classroom: Skype vs.
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