Doc Cams for Webex

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I did a quick glance and didn't see any threads on this topic.

So, here's the deal: I want a doc cam setup for my Webex meetings, since I may be teaching synchronously next semester (online of course) and I'll be solving a metric buttload of equations- and students need to see me do it. I polled them and they want to see me solving the equations (they can ask questions along the way, etc.).

I put the doc cam app on my phone and I can share what my phone sees to my personal laptop. Unfortunately, I cannot install the software on my work laptop (permissions and I don't want to deal with IT), so my roundabout fix is to join the Webex meeting that I started on my work laptop and share my personal laptop screen in the meeting. I have to mute the personal laptop (feedback noise). I'm just wondering if there's a better way to do this. Thoughts?

[mamselle]

I think there are some notes on this in the Zoom techie thread...don't recall the suggestions, though, sorry!

M.

[clean]

look into this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hAwj57v_gc


I have used it with WebEx. It takes some practice with the settings as the recording wants to record the speaking device, but you can overcome it with a little practice.

Hope it hellps

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

look into this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hAwj57v_gc


I have used it with WebEx. It takes some practice with the settings as the recording wants to record the speaking device, but you can overcome it with a little practice.

Hope it hellps

Thanks Clean. The problem is that I can't change the settings on my work laptop. I may just need to use my personal laptop instead of joining the work laptop's meeting from my personal laptop.

[OneMoreYear]

My Uni is lending doc cams (Elmo) to those of us teaching online who need to show things like calculations. They are not as new or nice as the doc cams in the classrooms, but they do work. I really don't know how I'd teach one of my classes without it.  It doesn't work with my personal laptop for some reason, but it does work with my work-issued laptop.

I realize it's probably not an option for you if you are attempting to use your phone, but have you checked with your IT department about whether they can lend you a doc cam that could be used with your work laptop?

[Liquidambar]

Can your phone join the WebEx meeting and share its screen?  That's what I did with Zoom--the phone connected to the Zoom meeting.

(Also, there are document camera apps?  Doh!  Now I feel like a nitwit for screen-sharing my regular phone camera.)

[clean]

Can your phone join the WebEx meeting and share its screen?  That's what I did with Zoom--the phone connected to the Zoom meeting.

Yes. That is what the guy did in the youtube I posted.
I have done it as well. I connect the other device to the meeting and then I can have the phone (or Ipad mini in my case) share the screen.

The problem i had was that when recording, the image that recorded was from the device that was getting the voice. 
You have to mute one or you get feedback.

Anyway, I solved that problem by hooking ear phones to the ipad.  I changed the settings on the meeting and I was able to record meeting/show just like the guy in the video.

It is slightly more of a problem when you do it in a full meeting as Webex settings are a little different when there are 2 (you and the device) and more than 2 in the meeting. 

Anyway, it can be done just like the guy in the video.

My problem had to do more with the issues of the video quality.  When i had a meeting with more people the quality of the video deterioriated.  I stumped the IT people here for nearly a month.  Im not sure that i was ever able to resolve it when there were a dozen in the meeting and recording.  The IT folks blamed the bandwith limit of my house.

Eventually I was issued an Ipad Pro and I write notes on the device in word and that seems to work well.

[EdnaMode]

I have a HUE document camera (different versions are available on Amazon, I have one of the $59.95 ones) that's plugged into my office PC and we use Zoom (not Webex), but I can switch cameras easily in Zoom and go from the regular webcam to the document camera so the students can see me writing equations, doing sketches of diagrams, etc. It's worked pretty well.

[clean]

WebEx will allow you to switch cameras easily.  If you can use a document camera, that may be the best way to go. I tried to use an ordinary external camera initially.  When I was with the IT expert, it worked well, but as more people added to the meeting, quality dropped until people could not read it (and complained about it).
IT eventually diagnosed "insufficient bandwith" (which can not be proven or disproven I suppose).

But that would be the best solution, if it works, than trying to use a separate device, at least for the money!

Probably the best solution is what I lucked into.... complain enough until the university issues you an Ipad Pro.

(I was tempted to even buy one IF the problems continued and online classes were here to stay, but as I have been issued one, I m off the hook!)

Good luck!!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I'll have to try connecting to the meeting with my phone instead of using the apps. I'm frustrated with other admin things going on, so I blame that for my lack of foresight.

[clean]

Your iphone will need its own account. IF you try to host the meeting on a computer and then enter again with the same credentials, it will cause problems.  But free accounts need only a unique email address.

[spork]

Keep in mind that generally online students can only see one screen at a time -- whether a screen-shared application or whichever device is specified as sending the video signal (i.e., toggling between computer webcam and phone's camera). They might get a thumbnail image of you, but most of their screen will show the notes.

Many of my colleagues are using a writing tablet or iPad and stylus, connected to a computer. The instructor opens OneNote, screen shares it via Webex or Zoom, and uses the tablet and stylus to scribble notes in OneNote.

If you are using a university-issued computer or laptop, the downside of the tablet/stylus arrangement is that IT will need to install the drivers.

[clean]

Keep in mind that generally online students can only see one screen at a time -- whether a screen-shared application or whichever device is specified as sending the video signal (i.e., toggling between computer webcam and phone's camera). They might get a thumbnail image of you, but most of their screen will show the notes.

You can change the settings to "pin' the desired feed (the iphone).  You would show up in the other window as the speaker.

See the Youtube video I posted in my first response to the thread. That guy's video got me started down this road so that someone can see you speak AND see what you write, simultaneously.

I have done this successfully several times. (the problem is not the broadcast, but the recording of the session MAY be different from what is broadcast, with is a PIA  to see one thing when recording, and something else when playing back!!  But this can be overcome with the appropriate setting selections).

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Keep in mind that generally online students can only see one screen at a time -- whether a screen-shared application or whichever device is specified as sending the video signal (i.e., toggling between computer webcam and phone's camera). They might get a thumbnail image of you, but most of their screen will show the notes.

You can change the settings to "pin' the desired feed (the iphone).  You would show up in the other window as the speaker.

See the Youtube video I posted in my first response to the thread. That guy's video got me started down this road so that someone can see you speak AND see what you write, simultaneously.

I have done this successfully several times. (the problem is not the broadcast, but the recording of the session MAY be different from what is broadcast, with is a PIA  to see one thing when recording, and something else when playing back!!  But this can be overcome with the appropriate setting selections).

I downloaded the Webex app and connected via my phone to a meeting I had in progress. Funny thing is that I used the same email for the phone and the laptop. *Shrug*

@Spork: I can 'check' everything when I connect via my personal computer, which is like an extra 'student.'

[Biologist_]

I'm using a Wacom One drawing tablet with my Windows PC in Zoom. It works great.

The only quirk is that the Zoom whiteboard likes to open on the wrong monitor instead of the drawing tablet. To avoid futzing with it, I just keep a powerpoint file full of blank slides open and draw on the slides instead. In fact, I've started working out calculations on the drawing tablet instead on paper even when there's no one else to see them. Whenever I come close to using up the blank slides, I add a dozen more. The tablet and ppt file might even save me from solving my own homework problems over and over because I recycled my scratch paper.

That's for office hours and class discussion. For lecture videos, I run my PPT slide show on the drawing tablet and draw on the slides. For in-person classes, I include a mix of slides with images and text and blank slides with titles to remind myself to go to the board and write or draw stuff. Now I just write or draw on the blank slides.

The college IT office gave me the drawing tablet last spring, but I like it enough that I might buy one to use at home when I (eventually) go back to working on campus.