Teaching Advance Course by Internet video

[fluffy bunny]

Hi,

I just wondered if the AIVV could offer to teach the Advance Course by Skype or some other interactive internet video chat system?

In such a way, a teacher in India could teach students all over the one, one to one and in small groups and expansion could happen faster.

[arjun]

Fluffy-bunny,
Your idea of giving Advance Course through Skype is good and must have been suggested by PBKs living abroad to Baba (if not for course, at least for phone talk to get Shrimat). I don't know if Baba speaks to such PBKs through skype or not. But for giving course through skype a very good internet connection is required. In India normally the internet keeps getting disconnected during phone talks through skype. I have never used it due to lack of time, but I will definitely convey your suggestion to AIVV.
Thanks,
OGS,
Arjun

[fluffy bunny]

But for giving course through skype a very good internet connection is required. In India normally the internet keeps getting disconnected during phone talks through skype ...

I just read up and apparently Google Talk (http://www.google.com/talk/) has slightly better performance. Perhaps this would have to be something limited to PBKs in the West, e.g. Westerner PBK to Westerner where internet connections are faster, or PBKs in a commercial hub like Delhi or Bangalore where better standards are possible.

Likewise, in most Western countries one can buy very cheap phonecards, e.g 1 pence per minute to India. The student could call India and do the course by telephone, using the internet for the visual presentation part, for less than a bus trip or a cup of tea.

The point is, the process has to be two way so that the teacher can talk to and interview the student, rather than one way like a TV show. It has to be interactive other it is not possible to understand whether the student has fully understood and imbibed what is being said rather than taking what they want to hear and putting their own spin on it.

I agree with you Skype is very choppy at times so perhaps a combination of incoming telephone call and internet would be best.

(Even I remember the Murlis saying, "all this technology is meant to help the children" ... if that is what it meant).