New Video Conferencing Tools Available to Students During Fall 2016 Semester

Penn State World Campus students have access to two new video conferencing tools during the fall 2016 semester: BlueJeans and Zoom. Both tools allow users to conduct video and audio meetings online using computers or mobile devices, without any other video conferencing equipment.

As part of a pilot program across Penn State, you are encouraged to try using these tools and will have the opportunity to offer feedback about them by completing user surveys. Following the fall 2016 semester, feedback will be evaluated, and one of the tools will be selected to remain available for Penn State users.

BlueJeans and Zoom each offer a variety of features designed to help meeting participants connect and share information, such as screen sharing, chat, and session recording. Participants can connect using a computer or a tablet or mobile device, and both BlueJeans and Zoom are accessible to users with disabilities. You can view a list comparing the features of both tools on the Penn State video conferencing project website.

You are not required to use BlueJeans or Zoom. However, one or both tools may be helpful for group work, and student feedback will be evaluated as Penn State chooses one of the tools to continue offering in the future.

Visit the Penn State video conferencing project website to learn more and to access BlueJeans and Zoom.