Electronic conferencing Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology revision
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In plain words
A meeting no longer needs everyone in one room. Electronic conferencing links people in different places by sound, by picture, or with shared documents as well.
5 things to know
- Video-conferencing lets people in different places see and hear each other in real time. It needs a webcam, a microphone, speakers, a monitor, conferencing software and a fast internet connection.
- Audio-conferencing is a meeting by voice only, held over the telephone network or the internet. It needs only a telephone, or a microphone and speakers.
- Web-conferencing is held over the internet, with shared screens, documents and messaging as well as sound and video. It is used for training and presentations to people in many places.
- Advantages: no time or money is spent on travel, meetings can be called at short notice, and people in different countries can take part.
- Disadvantages: time zones make it hard to find a time that suits everyone, the equipment costs money, poor connections cause delays and broken sound or pictures, and it is less personal than meeting face to face.
Worked example
A company with offices in three countries holds its monthly meeting by video-conference. Give two advantages and one disadvantage.
- Advantage: no one has to fly, which saves the cost of flights and hotels.
- Advantage: no working time is lost in travelling.
- Disadvantage: the offices are in different time zones, so the meeting is outside normal hours for some.
Tips and tricks
- For hardware, name the device and say what it is for: "a webcam to capture the image of the speaker".
- Advantages and disadvantages should fit the people in the question: international offices suggest time zones and travel costs.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Electronic conferencing: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which type of conference uses voice only?
No cameras or screens are needed.
Which item is needed for video-conferencing but not for audio-conferencing?
It captures the picture.
Which is an advantage of video-conferencing?
People stay where they are.
Which is a disadvantage of video-conferencing between countries?
One office's morning is another's night.
Which type of conference allows participants to share screens and documents as well as talk?
It runs over the internet.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 5 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Electronic conferencing
Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology 0417 · 5 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
State three items of hardware needed for a video-conference.[3]
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A webcam, a microphone and speakers. (Also: a monitor or large screen.)
Give two disadvantages of video-conferencing.[2]
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A poor internet connection can cause the sound and picture to lag or break up. People in different time zones may have to take part at inconvenient times.
Answers: Electronic conferencing
- 1. A webcam, a microphone and speakers. (Also: a monitor or large screen.)
- 2. A poor internet connection can cause the sound and picture to lag or break up. People in different time zones may have to take part at inconvenient times.