Introduction Technologies as Tools for Engagement Many of our students at GVSU are first generation and work full time. We have implemented video presence software that saves time, money and resources by allowing students to: Meet with faculty while on a work break Participate in group projects from multiple locations; hold “on-line” meetings “Attend” classes while sick Have virtual office hours with professors Video presence software has also been used to: Do first-round job interviews for GVSU staff positions Communicate with students doing internships in other countries In addition, by incorporating video presence software such as Oovoo with other programs such as DropBox, students and professors alike can cut back on paper printouts and handouts and therefore contribute to a “greener” educational experience. Materials and Resources ooVoo Oovoo is a high definition video presence software that allows desk top sharing, up to 12 video windows, recording of video, and many other tools. This allows students and faculty to lessen their time constraints yet improve their educational experience. DropBox Dropbox is a free service that allows sharing and editing of documents, photos and videos. Apps are available for the iphone, ipad and more. Files are always available on the web. Acknowledgments Thank you: ooVoo GVSU students in Mgt. 432, GVSU Information Technology Materials and Resources What is needed? Computer with broadband –plug in! Video software Web camera Headphone Simple, neutral background Tips and etiquette for ooVoo Keep background simple and neutral Wear solid colors Modulate voice Practice with settings: camera, headphones, microphone Experiment with different lighting options Team ooVoo Team ooVoo, a group of interdisciplinary students in the Seidman College of Business working under GVSU professor Star Swift, has been working to implement the video service within the GVSU community for more than a year. “All of us on Team ooVoo are working for free – none of us are gaining any credit for it,” said senior Douglas Trudeau, a member of Team ooVoo. “We’re doing this for the sole purpose of sustainability and to save the university money and encourage different ways to communicate.” Video presence in Academia: moving far beyond campus boundaries Linda Masselink, Anne Merkle, Maris Stella Swift, Laurie Witucki Grand Valley State University, Allendale Michigan Literature cited Masselink, L. & Merkle, A. (2011, September). Advocating for Green with Video Presence. PowerPoint presented at the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy, Coastal Georgia Center, Savannah, GA. Johnson, E. (2011, September 16). GV Athletics saves $11,000 with ooVooAthletic department uses video chat service to cut interviewing costs.GVSU Lanthorn, ttp://lanthorn.com/index.php/article/2011/09/gv_athletics_saves_11000_with_ oovoo ttp://lanthorn.com/index.php/article/2011/09/gv_athletics_saves_11000_with_ oovoo Figure 1. ooVoo video call For further information More information on this and related projects can be obtained at To see the YouTube that prompted our efforts to save 1% for the planet: Internship Abroad Figure 3. Oovoo video call between Prof. Star Swift (Grand Rapids, MI) and Intern Najib Abou-Chaar (East Beirut, Lebanon) In 2010 Seidman College of Business student Najib G. Abou-Chaar (Najib) received an internship opportunity with Qualco and was charged with helping the company draft a personnel handbook. The twist? Qualco is located in East Beirut, Lebanon. The solution? Telepresence technology. Though the internship took place in Lebanon, both Najib and his faculty advisor, Professor Maris Stella Swift, decided to work together to draft the human resources handbook. Their international collaboration was facilitated using ooVoo. Camera settings Microphone settings Send files End call Start text chat Speaker / headphone settings Classroom and Library Uses ooVoo in the GVSU Business School: Chemistry Department: CHM Organic Chemistry Online virtual office hours- easier to depict molecular models in 3-D space with visualization of chemical structures. ooVoo was also used to create short tutorial “movies” that showed the professor solving problems on a whiteboard with recoded voice annotation. Library: Consultations with students on using library resources. Recorded ooVoo videos uploaded to YouTube for students to access at point-of-need for assistance with searching strategies, database help, using bibliographic management software for citations. Handout on techno-etiquette tips. DropBox: has shared folders that allow students and faculty to work together on research, assignments, papers and videos. Job Candidate Interviews In the summer of 2011 the GVSU Athletic Department had a search for a new Associate Athletic Director. GVSU Athletics saved about $11,000 by using ooVoo, to conduct first-round interviews in three job searches. The savings were tracked based on projected expenses that Athletics would have incurred with a normal interview process, which include travel by plane, train or car, food, lodging, employee pay and entertainment. GVSU Athletic Director Tim Selgo said using ooVoo in lieu of traditional interviews saved a great deal of time: “To be able to do a first round of interviews via ooVoo was just tremendous from a time standpoint,” he said. “It allowed us to get our searches going, (and) we could do them all in one afternoon instead of spreading them out over one week.” At GVSU we give in our efforts in a group we call MY 1%. We use less paper and we use less gas. It’s that simple. We have the backing of Dropbox.com and ooVoo.com – they give us their services for free and we use them to assist us in achieving our two basic goals: Use less paper and less gas. Video Presence Software: Skills Grow with Use O ther Uses Figure 2. ooVoo video call Online Collective Bargaining in Management class at GVSU Figure 4. Mgt 432 ooVoo Student Survey, Fall, 2010 Figure 5. Prof. Star Swift’s students pledge to save 1% for the planet by using software such as ooVoo and Dropbox to save paper and gas Why Video Presence Software? What is gained by incorporating this technology into the university/academic setting? It saves time It saves money It allows a solid personal connection It is Green It is the Future