Outline:

The Flashmeeting tool has been developed by the Open University. It provides a very simple way of holding video conferences with anyone in the world who has an internet connection and a webcam.

Suitable for:

All age ranges

How does it work?

When you book a conference slot, you receive a web address, username and password. Send the details to whoever else is taking part in the conference and tell them to 'meet' you there at the agreed date/time.

In the meeting, you can take it in turns to speak. If you wish to have the conference recorded for later viewing you can.

Try it out by visiting http://www.flashmeeting.com/ and selecting 'Demo'.

Booking, support and training:

Documentation on using the Flashmeeting system will be available online.

Schools participating in Starz projects using the technology will receive some training as part of the project briefing sessions.

In-school training for individual schools or clusters can be provided at the usual consultancy rates.

The basic annual portal subscription allows your school to book up to 12 conferences during the year. Bookings are made by completing an online form.

If you wish to have unlimited use of the system there is an additional annual charge of £100. If you take up this option you will be given a username and password that allows you to book conferences instantly online.