Internet Conference Rooms

• What They Are
• How They Are Used
• What You Need

What Internet Conference Rooms Are
The traditional classroom is a type of conference room in that it is a place where professors and students communicate face-to-face. To the extent possible, MLI's Internet conference rooms seek to achieve the same kind of interaction between persons who are located at a distance.

At the current state of Internet technology, conferences are usually conducted by typing to each other rather than by simply speaking. We concede that such communication takes longer than face-to-face communication and is more arduous, but with perseverance it works. We are all looking forward to the day when Internet conferencing can be conducted audibly.

How Internet Conference Rooms Are Used
MLI's Internet conference rooms are places where professors and students can meet on a scheduled basis, and where students can meet with other students. It is also a place where questions and comments can be posted to the professor in advance of a conference, giving the professor the option of discussing them with the entire class. In addition to the main conference, students can break into small groups in separate rooms, and the professor can move from room to room. Finally, participants in the conference can print out copies of the entire conference discussion, as can students who may have missed the meeting. [Return to Top of Page]

What You Need to Use a Conference Room
In order to access any of MLI's conference rooms, you need a Java-compatible Internet browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator), and the browser must be Java-enabled with the most recent version. For a free download of Java visit www.Java.com, and for help with your browser, visit: www.parachat.com/help and click the "Java Tools & Info" link. [Return to Top of Page]

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