This page will contain a summary of some of the issues and problems with using webcams in the Geography Curriculum. I’ll expand on these over time and link examples from my posts.
Updated on 1st April 2007.
- Internet connection. Is the school system fast enough, if not an image is just as good?
- Blocking. Has the school network blocked the term ‘web-cam’ or is the site you want to use blocked?
- Inappropriate content. Does the webcam have inappropriate links or adverts surrounding it?
- Updating. How often is the webcam updated? ‘Live streaming’ enables change to be seen in real time, updating that takes minutes renders the webcam as an ‘image’ (?). Try googling ‘Live Streaming’ for appropriate web-cams.
- Size. Is the web-cam image viewable? Can it be expanded to full screen?
- Friction of Distance. Tme? Some web-cams may not be viewable in local time.
- Organisation. What is the best way to save our favourite web-cams?
- Active controls. Some live stream webcams require different active controls, need to check whether these work on the school system.
- Searching, it can take hours, there is a real need for a central resource.
- Is it working? Web-cams are unreliable, working one day and not the next.
- Pop-ups-some Web-cams operate using pop-up windows, these may be blocked by a network.
- Time-outs- some live-streaming web-cams have a time limit, some of only five minutes, this needs to be considered when planning tasks.
Listen to this podcast
