PROS AND CONS
There are many things which can be
said in favour of virtual conferencing / video
conferencing:
• It saves time and money
• It provides opportunities for professional development
from any computer connected to the Internet
• It allows you to access archived content
• It eliminates worries about creating backloads of work
while conference participants take time to travel for
learning
• Virtual conferences can provide better active
participation opportunities through chat and voice
communication. This allows attendees to remain anonymous
which means there are no public speaking pressures so that
those who might otherwise stay silent regular conferences
will be more likely to share their thoughts or debate with
other participants
Equally, there are some clear disadvantages:
• There is no audience with whom to make eye contact -
normal public speaking techniques such as body language and
hand gestures used for emphasis, or to connect with the
audience cannot be used
• A virtual presenter may have no idea whether he or she is
reaching the audience
• Attendees are often late or fail to attend due to a
failure to properly check software and sort out any
technical issues ahead of time
• Participants can easily fall prey to routine work
distractions such as the temptations to answer phone calls,
check email, or deal with people.
• And of course, you don’t get to skive off at a sunny
beach resort once the session is over!
