CPE Investigation- Issues and Technology

Investigation of Issues and Technology in CPE

Introduction

The practice of continuing professional education has been one that has seen substantial growth within the past decade. Society is becoming more aware of the fact that employers require that their employees need to be up to date with relevant skills and information, for there is another company that is ready to take its place. Today’s market is more competitive than ever, especially with the advent of globalization taking a strong footing. With this being said, continuing professional education is something that all too many people have difficulty with. These difficulties can come in all shapes and sizes, and for the most part can be overlooked. There has also been a significant increase in the development and use of technology as well. It is without a doubt that a large portion of society has embraced the use of technology, particularly within the education sector.

            The objective of this paper is to investigate the issues and technology that are relevant to continuing professional education. More specifically, this paper sets out to find what technologies have been developed or currently being developed to tackle two of continuing professional education’s biggest issues, which are time constraints and cost. Those who wish to engage in continuing professional education often find that time constraints and cost play a major factor in whether there is an opportunity to partake in activities or not. However, there are multiple uses of technology that have given professionals the opportunity to continue their education, while minimizing costs and with little disruption to their daily routine.

            There are a couple different technologies that will be investigated with regards to time constraints/costs and continuing professional education. The technologies that will be analyzed are cloud computing and video conferencing. Each of these technologies helps to combat the dilemma of not having enough time and/or money for continuing professional education. What makes these technologies so beneficial is that they allow companies and professionals to utilize the tools with ease and in some instances at a minimal cost. While there are many examples of cloud computing and video conferencing, the examples that will be of focus for this paper include CISCO’s TelePresence, GoToMeeting, and Google Drive. Each of these technologies have unique attributes available to continuing education professionals, and each have practical uses for continuing professional education today.

Video Conferencing

The first technology that will be analyzed comes from the tech company CISCO, and is called TelePresence. According to CISCO’s website, this technology “places people at the center of the collaboration and video experience, empowering them to work together in new ways to transform business, accelerate innovation, and do more with less. It’s next generation video conferencing, where everyone, everywhere can be face-to-face and more effective through the most natural and lifelike communications experience available (CISCO, 2012).” As seen from this previous statement, there are many benefits that CISCO’s TelePresence has to offer in terms of helping alleviate the issue of time constraints when it comes to continuing professional education. For example, this particular technology was developed with the notion that people should not have to sacrifice the quality of having a face-to-face interaction when collaborating with other people. The application this has for continuing professional education is that it would allow professionals to hold large-scale meetings from multiple locations at the same time. What this essentially means is that educators could utilize this particular technology to reach those in remote locations without the option of making travel arrangements. TelePresence is also scalable, so educators could tailor the product to whatever size needed. Whether it is a large classroom of two hundred, or just a group of a dozen, this particular technology is a viable asset to utilize.

            CISCO TelePresence has also the benefit of offering a wide variety of models that offer different solutions for individuals. Each model that is offered through CISCO has a unique intended application. With regards to continuing professional education, it would be difficult to choose just one model that would apply to all circumstances. However, one model that may prove to be a valuable choice is the CISCO TelePresence System 3000 Series. With this particular series, there is the ability for an educator to utilize multiple endpoints, or locations where students could videoconference. Each endpoint allows up to six participants within a boardroom setting (CISCO, 2012). What is intuitive about this is that educators would be able to provide greater access to students, thus reducing the constraints of time associated with having to meet a one static location.

            Another technology that could prove to be of use to continuing professional education is also video conferenced based. However, this is more geared towards those who would like to use their computers. The name of this particular technology is GoToMeeting, and has its potential applications in continuing professional education. With this particular technology, there are essentially four simple, key steps or elements that a student or educator would go about using GoToMeeting:

1.     The educator would start GoToMeeting on their computer or mobile device.

2.     The educator would invite students to the meeting. The audio can be either by mic on the computer or by phone.

3.     The educator would then turn on his or her webcam and utilize the HDFaces video conferencing feature.

4.     The educator would finally share their screen so that the students could see what the educator is seeing (GoToMeeting, 2012).

With GoToMeeting, educators are given the unique ability to instruct students from virtually anywhere in the world. As long as a student has a computer and Internet access, that individual is able to connect with his or her educators.

            Now that there has been an analysis of two separate video conferencing technologies, it is time to examine the similarities and differences of each, as well as possibly determine which is more applicable to continuing professional education. For starters, one obvious similarity between the two is the ability to use both audio and video capabilities. When dealing with continuing professional education, it is almost safe to say that there will always be the need to provide content in a visual and audio form that resembles a face-to-face interaction.

Both of these technologies allow an educator to have a visual of the other person, which provides an experience that cannot be replicated through a telephone or email conversation. CISCO’s TelePresence and GoToMeeting also share the similarity of allowing individuals the opportunity to collaborate from multiple locations. This particular similarity essentially helps reduce the issue of time constraints that are placed on an individual. Instead of the hassle of having to travel great distances to a meeting, a student can simply set up shop at a different location.

Another similarity with both TelePresence and GoToMeeting is the potential costs associated with each. One of the biggest issues facing continuing professional education is financing the various initiatives. Whether the costs stem from renting a location and technical equipment or the cost of travel, each of the previously mentioned technologies has its own strengths. For instance, the travel costs associated with holding a conference or training session that requires individuals to fly can be staggering. However, by utilizing video conferencing, educators and students are able to collaborate from great distances without the need to spend a substantial amount of money on airline tickets.

            Despite the similarities that each video conferencing technology displays, there are also a number of differences that sets each apart. For example, with the CISCO TelePresence, these solutions are typically meant to have static locations. What this means for educators is that if he or she wants to implement a video conferencing solution, then there must be a strong assurance that the locations will enable students to have quick and easy access. This may not always be the case, for it would not be cost efficient to have numerous solutions installed for each student’s convenience. However, with GoToMeeting, the cost effectiveness associated with this technology seems to be a more logical choice. As mentioned previously, as long as an educator or student has access to a computer and Internet, then that person essentially has access to GoToMeeting. Unlike CISCO’s TelePresence, GoToMeeting’s application is installed on a person’s computer and allows the individual to change locations if they so choose.

Cloud Computing

The second technology that will be analyzed with regards to the issues facing continuing professional education is cloud computing. Cloud computing is basically storing and accessing information and applications from a remote location. This type of technology has been around for some time, but has just recently taken off as a full service solution. One example of cloud computing that is very popular in society is called Google Drive. This particular application used to be called Google Documents, or Google Docs. This is a technology that allows individuals to create and share documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, as well as other pieces of information. What makes this technology unique however is the ability for multiple individuals to work on the same document or presentation simultaneously. For example, an educator could post a document with a series of questions on it and share that document with ten different students. Each student would have the ability to see the document and make changes to it. When a change is made, not only does it affect the document that person is looking at, the changes are reflected on everyone else’s document as well.

            This has been one particular technology could also prove very useful for those in continuing professional education. One of the biggest advantages of using Google Drive is the cost associated with it, which is offered free for a set amount of storage. This is one instance in which professionals could really save some money, for any money that is being spent on an alternative means of collaboration could theoretically be save using Google Drive. Another benefit with this particular solution is the convenience and possible time saving attributes associated with it. Just like GoToMeeting, Google Drive is available to anyone as long as they have a computer and Internet access. And just like GoToMeeting, this essentially means that an individual can collaborate with other people from virtually anywhere.

            Although there are benefits to using a cloud-based solution such as Google Drive, there are also some drawbacks to using this type of technology. For example, Google Drive does not offer video or audio capabilities. What this means is any educational or training initiatives that wanted to be implemented would have to rely solely on visual aids, such as Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. This could prove to be a difficulty for those who prefer a more traditional setting where one could see and hear who was speaking. Another drawback to this type of solution is that it can be at times rather difficult to know what another person is thinking when making changes to a document or presentation, especially since there is no verbal or visual communication taking place.

            Cloud computing and video conferencing are two technologies that will for the most part help combat the issue of time and cost associated with continuing professional education. While these are not meant to replace the traditional method of having an actual face-to-face meeting in a classroom setting, both of the previously mentioned technologies do have a place in continuing professional education. However, in order for these two technologies to be effective, there is a need to understand the educational situation and utilize the technologies accordingly.

Works Cited

CISCO. (2012, October 8). CISCO TelePresence System 3000 Series. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from CISCO: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps8333/index.html

CISCO. (2012, October 8). TelePresence: In-Person Experiences for All. Retrieved Octber 8, 2012, from CISCO: http://www.cisco.com/web/telepresence/telepresence-basics.html

GoToMeeting. (2012, October 8). How it Works. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from GoToMeeting: http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/online_meeting