Please review the following issues and requirements in order to participate in a Teleconference with Dr. Argy, either one-on-one or in a course.
Issues in Video Teleconferencing
• Value of being present "in person" compared to Teleconferencing: the exam takes place in person, and nothing can duplicate that face-to-face experience. But Teleconferencing is a reasonable alternative, and is certainly far better than just a telephone conversation. My personal feeling is that I prefer to work with candidates in person at least once, either before or after Teleconferencing -- there is enormous value to an interpersonal interaction at a range of five feet, especially for oral board preparation. Having that personal contact makes subsequent Teleconferencing an even more effective modality.
• Quality of Video and Audio: poor quality audio or video, or lack of lip synchronization between audio and video, are very distracting and make Teleconferencing more tiring or even ineffective. Good teleconferencing connections require fast computer processors, significant allocations of memory, good software and fast internet connection speeds. In my experience, iChat on the Mac has higher and more consistent quality than Skype on the Mac or Windows PC. Since the hardware and software requirements are fairly easy to achieve these days, the current limitation in producing good quality teleconferences appears to be sufficient upload connection speeds on cable internet.
• Effectiveness of Teleconferencing: I've used Teleconferencing with candidates for several years now, and the candidates and I have been very pleased with the results of the preparation. The convenience of not having to travel has also allowed some candidates with serious time constraints to work with me when they otherwise would have been unable to, and they have therefore viewed the Teleconferencing option as even more effective.
Hardware
• Macintosh: G4, G5, or Intel processor, more than 250 MB free RAM memory, iSight webcam (external or built into a laptop,) headset (optional.)
• Windows PC: Intel pentium or faster, more than 250 MB free RAM memory, webcam (external or built into a laptop,) headset (optional.)
Software
• iChat on a Macintosh: iChat on the Mac is the more robust of the two software platforms, with larger screen sizes, excellent audio and excellent synchronization of audio and video.
• Skype on Macintosh or Windows PC: Skype's recent upgrade (early 2009) is now more stable than previously, whether on the Mac or the PC, but is still not as stable or as robust as iChat. Asynchronous audio and video is more common than with iChat, and video quality is not as good. The better the internet connection, however, the less of a difference you see. You can download the Skype software for free at this link.
Internet Connection Speed
• Minimum download speed: 300 KB per second
• Minumum upload speed: 22 KB per second
• You should test the speed of your cable connection to insure good results with the Teleconference.
When the cable company tells you the maximum speed of your system, it is determined under optimal conditions (which rarely occur.) Actual connection speed depends on serveral variables. If you do a search on Yahoo or Google using the term "connection speed," you will find a wide variety of sites that will calculate your connection speed. (I've used http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ with quick and easy-to-interpret results.)
If you don't have good connection speed, many cable providers offer a "Business" high speed version of cable, which has much faster connection speeds, especially upload. You can often get a free 30 day "trial" version of the higher speed connection from your cable company and use it for the Teleconference, then decide later if you want to keep the higher speed option.
• Any arrangements for a Teleconference should have the system tested between your location and Dr. Argy's office.
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