Online Teaching with Eyejot Video Mail

I recently re-commenced teaching advanced level students 1-1 online, for things like iBT preparation and interview and essay practice for students in the process of applying to universities in the United States. It has been a little while since I did online teaching, and it has been great putting to use all the new gadgets and programs that have developed and become available since the last time I was doing this sort of teaching.

 

One of these new "toys" has been Eyejot, which basically promotes itself as being browser-based Video Mail. This has been a real boon to my battery of online teaching tools, especially in terms of asynchronous task submissions that add a video angle to the already widely available online audio programs. Basically, using the easy code provided, I am able to place a video mail recorder on my students' web pages that allows them to record and send tasks to me pretty much instantly.

   

As you can see from the screen shot here (for one of my iBT TOEFL students), I can create a private page for a student that includes an i-frame based online iBT test, and next to it goes the Eyejot video task recorder. For the student, submitting a speaking task is as simple as hitting "reply", then activating the Macromedia Flash plug in, and then recording and sending. The student does not need to download any special programs or software, and is not required to go through the process of signing up for an Eyejot membership. In fact, the web-based recorder here has a 1-minute time limit (with a counter ticking down to zero) for recordings that I find ideal for test-prep style recordings (given they always have time limits of similar duration). Paid up Eyejot members (like myself, but not my students) can record messages of up to 5 minutes duration. In my situation that is ideal for then responding to my students' task submissions, as I can reply with a longer video mail giving them in-depth feedback, and it is delivered direct to their email.

 

Eyejot recently also added an upgrade that allows video mails to be embedded directly into webpages. This allows me to create an online speaking log for my students where they can scroll through the tasks they have submitted for review purposes. By providing the Eyejot recorder again on the same page, the student has the option of reviewing their own tasks and then re-recording them right there in the one place.
   

I got my Eyejot membership when their initial offer only cost US$15 per year, and it's since been raised to US$30, but it does represent excellent value considering the ease and reliability of the service. Compared to applications like Sightspeed, this is not only much cheaper, but also more practical. Sightspeed doesn't allow you to embed recordings, costs US$15 per month for any sort of practical functionality, requires membership for anyone to record messages back to you, requires a software download, and unless the person is willing to pay, they are limited to 30 seconds of recording time - which is pretty much useful only in terms of expressing how frustrated you feel. Even with the paid membership in Sightspeed, a member can only record messages of up to 3 minutes in duration. Eyejot, by comparison, allows anyone (with or without an Eyejot membership) to record messages to you directly from your own website for free for up to one minute, is fully browser-based (thus not requiring complicated installations), has the instant versatility of embedded videos, and a paid membership (at a fraction of the cost compared to Sightspeed) allows the option of recording messages of up to 5 minutes in length. From my (and my students') perspective, Eyejot's service absolutely creams things like Sightspeed, and even makes it a better option than things like Skype (which also involves a time-consuming and potentially complicated installation and doesn't have embed functions).

All in all, Eyejot has added a very convenient and stimulating resource to my online teaching options, and my students love it. I can't wait to see what other improvements they have in store in the not too distant future!

 

If you feel like trying out Eyejot yourself, right here on the blog, check out the video recorder below. So yeah, I forgot to mention - this is also a communication tool for things like blogs as well!

 

 

Comments

[David Geller]

Jason - Thank you for a thoroughly positive review of Eyejot. You've encapsulated in your post most of the values we've tried to create in Eyejot and appreciate you sharing it with your readers!

[Peter Csathy, CEO SightSpeed]

Jason -- unfortunately, not sure where you got your data about SightSpeed, but it is incorrect across the board. First, unlike Eyejot and others, SightSpeed is completely free (we have a premium version, but our core high quality and best in class services are free). This gives you the highest quality 30 frame per second video, unlike any flash-based video solution. And, we do not have any $15 plan -- our upgraded version is $9.95. And, our video mail and vlogging capabilities are also incorrectly reported -- you can use the FREE version of SightSpeed to record -- with one click -- the highest quality video message that can be sent to anyone (whether they are a SightSpeed user or not) or posted to your blog, your profile, your website. The point is that you CAN, in fact, embed the video with a couple clicks -- and this is all FREE. And, you may not know this -- but, SightSpeed also gives full SightSpeed quality via a one-click web based calling option called "My SightSpeed" (meaning that anyone can call you via their browser without having to download any software!). And, again, this is all FREE. And, wait, there's more. We also have a little known sister product called Vlip at www.vlip.com which is a completely flash-based no download video message board (i.e., threading) experience with full and FREE video mail and video posting! Voila, we have the whole package -- and it is all FREE.

But, wait, there's more. Unlike any other company, only we win all the awards for being best in class, most innovative, most complete feature set, ease of use, etc. What awards you ask? PC Magazine "Editors' Choice" three times; PC World's "100 Best Products"; Walt Mossberg "thumbs up"; Frost & Sullivan's Internet Communications Company of the Year; and on, and on ...

And, we partner with the some of the biggest companies in the world, including Dell, Microsoft, AMD, Intel, Creative Labs ...

SO, just wanted to correct the record so that no one out there gets the wrong idea!

Hope this helps.

Peter Csathy

[Jason]

Hi Peter and thanks for going to so much trouble to post such thorough information about your product here. The more information and discussion there is on these sorts of products and issues, the better.

In terms of the data on Sightspeed, it came directly from me as a user who upgraded to the premium version and then cancelled the service after finding it wasn't really doing or providing what I or my online learners really needed.

However, you're quite right on one count - the premium service did in fact cost me $9.95 per month. Sorry for misrepresenting that price.

I was also wrong about the embedding issue - I think I confused the service with another one I've been experimenting with, so my apologies on that front as well.

What you've pointed out in your posting is true, but there is still the issue of a limit of 30 seconds for free members, and a limit of 3 minutes for the upgraded $9.95 per month premium membership - and visitors/students/other users still needing to download the Sightspeed software in order to correspond. These time limits and membership fees are just too steep, in my opinion, for small businesses like mine that deal with users who may not have the budget and/or language skills for signing up/installing the software.

I have to check out the "my sightspeed" function again, because I recall being of the impression that my users could use it without needing to download anything or sign up, but then upon actually signing up and using it I found my students reporting that they still needed to become Sightspeed users. I'll check on that again at some stage and clarify my information and position on it.

Other than those issues, thanks for informing me/us about Vlip. I didn't know about that and it is something I will be keen to check out and try with my online teaching services!

Thanks again,

Jason

[Vincent]

In my opinion, SightSpeed has a much, much better video and audio quality!

But Eyejot has much more features (like personalising email template for exemple).