Skype, the well known free internet phone software, is now facilitation instruction in a Lee University music classroom. We reviewed Skype in the past and determined there were too many security holes and troublesome agreements to be practical for use on our network. However the product has matured significantly over the last few years; with millions of users worldwide, and many other colleges and universities allowing it, it seemed a good time to take another look.

I was personally introduced to Skype while working my Master’s thesis. The proctor for my project was in South Africa, and she was a regular Skype user. The best way for us to communicate, without racking up huge phone bills was through Skype. Adding the software was incredibly easy and the discussion, half a globe away, was crystal clear. This experience made it clear that Skype might be the best answer for international students who want to call home on a regular basis for free. So a few changes were made to the firewall and voila, Skype was now available for use.

During this same time we were exploring the possibility of video conferencing for several adjunct  faculty in the School of Music, but nothing was really within a reasonable cost range. A suggestion was made to test Skype which also offers free video conferencing with their calling software. Our testing showed that while not a perfect video conferencing solution, the sound quality was such that it overcame and limitations in the video. Additionally, the software is free and the cameras cost next to nothing, when compared to much more expensive solutions.

This semester the School Of Music will be using Skype video conferencing for a class, and if it goes well you may see video conferencing popping up all over campus.

You can download Skype and set up a user account for free from the following location: www.Skype.com/download

Craig is our Director of IS&T, and can be reached at cgray@leeuniversity.edu