Recently, Sarah and I had a video call to discuss our chosen technologies for Assignment 3 and share any challenges we’ve been facing. We also took some time to catch up, as we are both in the Master of Nursing program at TRU. We used Facebook Messenger to arrange the meeting and completed our video chat on the same platform. It was convenient, and we appreciated that there was no time limit, unlike some platforms (ex: Zoom’s free version). The video and audio quality were clear, making the interaction almost as good as meeting in person.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing has grown significantly as an alternative to in-person communication. While I wasn’t attending classes during the pandemic, I experienced many work-related Zoom or Teams meetings, especially for workshops. These were often challenging for hands-on skill evaluations, which required in-person follow-ups.

Now, in distance learning, video conferencing makes it easier to coordinate group projects or attend real-time classes that I can’t join in person. It helps avoid the misunderstandings that can arise from text or email communication by allowing you to see facial expressions and body language. While video conferencing is an excellent alternative, I believe we still need to prioritize face-to-face meetings when possible, as human interaction is vital for learning.