Wimba

Posted on May 16, 2007 by Alvin Trusty

Horizon WimbaI started a new pilot today. UF is comparing Elluminate with Wimba. We used Elluminate last semester. I had the training for Wimba today and I start using it in class tomorrow.

Both of these programs are synchronous tools designed to create a face-to-face class experience for an online class. On the surface both are similar products that run through a web browser. With a headset microphone one person can talk to the entire class. The interface allows sharing of presentations (PowerPoint, pictures, Flash, movies) in addition to applications. As the presenter, I can run Excel on my machine and share the application with the class. Everyone can then see my desktop. I can even pass control of the application to someone in the class.

Wimba has one feature that I liked. In the session, there is a phone icon. If someone has a problem with an Internet connection, he/she can dial a phone number, type in a passcode and be right back in the discussion via the phone.

I haven’t had experience running a session with Wimba. That will happen today. I’ll give you a report once I’ve taken it around the block a few times.

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9 Responses to Wimba

  1. John Schinker says:
    May 18, 2007 at 6:06 am

    I’ve never heard of Wimba. I’d be interested in how it compares with Elluminate, and whether these solutions are worth the money over something like Yugma+Skype.

  2. alvin says:
    May 18, 2007 at 7:19 am

    We had our first session last night. I like Wimba every bit as much as Elluminate. It integrates into our Blackboard session so I only had to create an assignment in Blackboard in order to give everyone access to the session. One click in Bb and students are logged into Wimba.

    The archiving is interesting as well. Every time a new slide or activity happens, the recorder indexes the archive. During playback, this index acts as a table of contents. It makes it easy to jump to a particular part of the session.

  3. Paula Lee says:
    September 11, 2007 at 12:43 pm

    Hi. This may be a dumb questions, but are Elluminate and Wimba stand alone products or are the meant to be integrated into other products like Blackboard, etc?

    I am doing some research on LMSs and trying to gather as much information to put into a proposal as I can.

    Thanks.

    Paula

  4. Alvin Trusty says:
    September 11, 2007 at 5:48 pm

    Both products can work both wyas. During our pilot program we worked with them integrated into Blackboard and in stand alone mode. In the stand alone mode, the host web site had a scheduling tool. An email with a URL and password were emailed to all participants.

  5. Paula Lee says:
    September 12, 2007 at 9:20 am

    So how does that work then? The host site has the software and then whomever just logs in and accesses the *course*? The other sites would only need internet access? The pariticpants don’t have to be actually enrolled in anything?

    Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

    Paula

  6. Alvin Trusty says:
    September 12, 2007 at 4:43 pm

    In both modes, the product company hosts the servers. With the stand alone version, instructors log into the host’s server and setup sessions. The server generates an instruction email that the instructor forwards to students. The instructions include a cryptic URL that functions as the authenticating mechanism. All users get the same URL, so each is asked for a first and last name when connecting to the session.

    The embedded model includes a module that is installed into the Learning Management System. This gives each instructor the ability to schedule session from within the LMS. Students log into the LMS and connect to the schedule session just as connecting to an assignment or discussion board in the LMS. The Elluminate/Wimba host server uses user credentials from the LMS to connect students to the correct sessions.

  7. Paula Lee says:
    September 13, 2007 at 10:22 am

    Thank you so much for the information. I will have to reread it a couple of times to really understand it all. But thank you again.

  8. Robin says:
    April 26, 2008 at 7:48 pm

    I’d like to get an update on this comparison of Wimba and Elluminate. Which system did you choose? and why? We are trying to select both a synchronous and an asynchronous system and need some assistance.

  9. Alvin Trusty says:
    April 28, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    We went with Elluminate. I’m not sure why the University decided to go that route. We are just finishing our first full academic year with it and plan to continue next year.

    Our student comments about the system are very good. I don’t know how we could stop using a product like this. I think our students would rebel.