ALTEC and the University of Kansas are currently exploring new and innovative uses of IP (Internet Protocol) based video conferencing in the educational setting! Our efforts include providing field experiences to university students, performing student teacher supervision, facilitating collaboration between classrooms both within and outside of the University and offering graduate courses at a distance.

Video conferencing began in the mid-1980s as compressed video. Although compressed video did produce an interactive video conference, it was expensive and difficult to coordinate in a school district. A new protocol of video communications emerged in the mid-1990s called Internet Protocol or IP-based video. IP-based video conferencing is a method of performing interactive video communications over a regular high speed internet connection with television quality full motion audio and video.

Since IP-based video conferencing was introduced, communication technologies have improved exponentially. It has become apparent in the last few years that the expanding networks in school districts will be able to handle the implementation of video communications if not now, then in the very near future.