The Welsh Video Network: Supporting Video Conferencing in Welsh Education: User Experience

Geoff Constable, Kate Wright, Sue Chambers, Beverley Herring

06.03.2012 | By videoconference from Gogerddan Campus, Aberystwyth University

Welsh Video Network• Supporting approximately 200 Studios (originally 82)• Field Service• Service Desk – Help Desk service• Teaching and Learning Support and Training• Uses JANET Videoconferencing Service• JVCS Use in Wales far in advance of geographical size, population

or number of establishments compared to other UK regions

01-0203-04

05-0607-08

09-100

4000

8000

12000

Number of WVN Con-ferencesHours of WVN Conferences

01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11Number of WVN Conferences

1392 2446 2719 3071 3025 4847 6052 6779 6913 7976

Hours of WVN Conferences

3550 5507 5120 5234 5106 7221 8786 10182 10555 11783

‘How Green Was My Videoconference?’• JISC Funding from “Greening ICT” programme 2010 - 2011• Aim: to evaluate carbon cost of videoconferencing and savings that

could be made by using VC to replace travel• Little information published by equipment manufacturers on

carbon footprint of their products• More use of VC - greener it becomes, more value from the

purchase of the equipment• Encouraged use by identifying potential users• Found people like it!

[1] Based on the 2010 DEFRA average petrol car figure of 0.341 kg per passenger mile (actually 0.34094 kg/mile)

All figures Kg of CO2 eq emissions unless otherwise stated

Single full studio = four monitors, two cameras, projector, PC, documents camera, control equipment, etc.

Single compact studio = one monitor, one camera, mic and speakers

Lifetime Carbon Footprint (10 years life) 2,824 306.5

Annual carbon footprint (10 years life) above/10 282 30.7

Miles in average petrol car needed to offset the above1 827 miles 90 miles

All figures are approximate and based on available information, WVN support travel, power consumption tests and a number of assumptions – see project documentation for details.

Aberystwyth University users:

• I.S. supports four centrally supported studios• 585 videoconferences were booked at these in 2009-10. • A survey of internal VC use in early 2011 found that:• around 70% respondents had participated in a virtual meeting

(audio, video and web conferencing) in 2010, of which • around 60% had used the university VC suites. • Around 65% respondents said their last virtual meeting had been

completely successful in meeting its objectives, and • 55% said it definitely or almost certainly replaced a face to face

meeting. • Of the latter, the virtual meeting avoided an average of 320 miles

travelled there and back at an average cost of nearly £200.

Aberystwyth University users:

• Beverley Herring, Business Liaison Officer (GO Wales), Aberystwyth University Careers Service

• Sue Chambers, Director of Human Resources, Aberystwyth University

• Kate Wright, E-learning Development Officer, Aberystwyth University

Encouraging use:

• Develop a policy, provide clear support, use standards-based equipment, dedicate a room, make it easy to book and access, provide training, offer taster sessions, use it yourself.

Benefits:

• Save time, save carbon emissions, be more efficient, make meetings more accessible, gain access to busy people, save money.

Negatives?

• People networking ‘social’ elements may be missing, thinking/discussion /working time while travelling may be lost, serendipity found when attending events can be lost, possibility of technical problems…

Help and advice…• Welsh Video Network: www.wvn.ac.uk• JANET Videoconferencing: www.ja.net/services/video/• Video Technologies Advisory Service: www.ja.net/vtas• How Green… www.wvn.ac.uk/en/projects/greenict/• V-Factor: www.wvn.ac.uk/en/projects/vfactor/

Contact Details

• Geoff Constable• www.youtube.com/greenvideoconference• 01970 622475• ccc@aber.ac.uk• @gardeninggeoff