Online Live Teaching and Tutoring Using Free Software

Online Live Teaching and Tutoring Using Free Software

In today's class, Teacher Mantou will share how to use free communication software for online live teaching or tutoring. I remember that many children's English institutions used to conduct phone teaching at scheduled times, allowing students to speak English in front of their families (otherwise, parents say tutoring is useless). As time progresses, mobile phones have all entered the smart phone market; apart from smart phones, you can't find any 'dumb' phones. With the free and increasingly powerful features of instant messaging software, online teaching and tutoring have become the hottest trends today. Let's discuss and learn how to conduct online teaching.

First, let's separate audio and video. As the names imply, audio means you cannot see the other person and can only communicate through voice, while video means both image and sound are transmitted simultaneously, allowing you to see each other and converse at the same time. Next, we can distinguish between one-on-one and one-to-many types. If it's one-on-one, it's more like tutoring or private teaching, where the student and teacher communicate in different spaces (e.g., classroom and home), saving transportation and venue costs that would normally arise from being in the same space (classroom) (be careful! Calls are free, but internet data costs money). One-to-many formats are similar to lectures; if it's one-on-two or one-on-three, everyone can still use video or audio conversations, but as the number of people increases, it can become very noisy and difficult to control. Therefore, in one-to-many situations, students often express their opinions by typing, conveying their thoughts to the teacher without interrupting the lesson.

Now, Teacher Mantou will recommend and analyze which free software can achieve high-quality online teaching.

Let's start with one-on-one online teaching. For both audio and video calls, Teacher Mantou highly recommends Apple’s FaceTime, which can be used on iPhones, iPads, or Mac computers without needing to install any additional software. It works intuitively like making a phone call and requires no learning (which is very important for students). The communication quality of FaceTime is very stable, the sound quality is good, and there is less delay. Its operation is the most user-friendly and easy among all software. But you might ask me, 'Teacher Mantou, can I use FaceTime on my Android phone?' Sorry! FaceTime can only be used within the Apple ecosystem (for Apple fans). If the student has an iPhone or an iPad, FaceTime is definitely your first choice.

Of course, not everyone has an iPhone. If you need cross-platform compatibility that works on Windows, Apple, Android, or even Mac, I would recommend trying the classic communication software Skype. Since Microsoft acquired Skype, it has been working to make it easier to use (recently, they launched a direct browser-based chat feature that doesn't require registration, which we can discuss later because that's a long story). The most powerful aspect of Skype is its high maturity; it is not prone to unexpected issues (some software can crash or have sound issues). It can be installed on phones, tablets, and computers. You need to register the first time you use it, but you can easily register with just an email (some software requires phone verification). Once you add the other person as a contact, you can chat directly. You can choose to have simple audio conversations or video chats. Skype is favored by businesses and many online English teaching institutions due to its free and excellent audio-visual compression technology (you read that right! Other than private tutoring ABC, all others use Skype). Our company’s export department often uses Skype to communicate directly with foreign clients. Skype also has a screen-sharing feature that others may not have (or perhaps other software thinks it's unimportant), allowing you to share your screen with the student, facilitating collaborative teaching. Online English teaching institutions use this feature to share the teacher's screen and conduct electronic whiteboard lessons (it's very simple to set up, but you need electronic whiteboard software and a drawing tablet, which I will teach you later).

Teacher Mantou has some exciting news: Skype recently launched a pure web version (just use the browser), so I recommend you open your browser (Google Chrome is best), log in, and use it. It's much more convenient for students (I often find that colleagues can't locate the software after installation).

In addition to Skype, the mobile apps LINE and Facebook, which have a very high market share, also offer free voice and video calling. Messenger is Facebook's instant messaging software; besides installing the app, Messenger also provides a free web version, making it more convenient for everyone to use. You just need to enter your Facebook account username and password to start chatting. Based on my experience, the quality of voice calls is similar across the board, but video calls are definitely better with Skype. However, some students may not have even heard of Skype, while LINE and Facebook are widely installed and used daily by students. Therefore, I suggest using LINE or Messenger; at least you don’t have to go through the installation and registration processes.

By the way! A student asked me if Messenger needs to be installed on a computer. The answer is no. If you are using a Windows computer, you just need to open the browser and enter Facebook or the Messenger website. To run LINE on a computer, you need to install the LINE desktop version. LINE used to have a web version (as for the Chrome version, that's another story), but currently, only the desktop version is available.

If the four software options above (FaceTime, Skype, LINE, Facebook Messenger) still do not meet your needs, Google also offers two free software options. The first is Google Hangouts, which is similar to Facebook Messenger and has a web version available on computers, while you can install the Hangouts app on your mobile phone or tablet. If you already have a Gmail account, everything becomes easy and enjoyable; just log in to use it. In terms of functionality, Google Hangouts is just as good as Facebook Messenger or LINE, but it has less popularity; very few friends around me have heard of or used it, similar to how Google+ social services are good, but everyone uses Facebook (sometimes habits become trends, and regardless of how powerful other products are, it is not easy to change people's habits).

In addition to Hangouts, Google has launched a new video app this year called Google Duo, which may be suitable for older individuals who are not good at operating complex apps. You just need to enter the app, select the person you want to call, and you can start a video call immediately. It’s great for parents to connect with their children working away from home. For those in areas with poor internet connectivity, Google Duo's excellent connection capability can also be beneficial. The main feature of Google Duo is its simplicity; unlike other communication or video software, Google Duo's interface is very straightforward, and there are no extra features in the software; all the user has to do is click and talk.

Google has also done its homework. It discovered that the biggest problem facing video software on the market is unstable connections. Duo claims to ensure smooth connectivity even under low-speed conditions and is quite fast. The method Duo uses is to reduce the resolution; when the internet connection is poor, it will lower the resolution to ensure that the connection does not drop.

Currently, Google Duo is only available as a mobile version (Android & iOS) and cannot be used on computers. Duo’s unique feature is its super simplicity (FaceTime is still the easiest in my opinion, completely seamless to use without needing to install any software), and it emphasizes that calls remain clear under low bandwidth conditions. You can download it and try it out; I have installed and tested it, and the video and audio quality are indeed excellent (after all, it’s Google’s latest technology). However, the software's stability needs time to validate; it can freeze when finding contacts, and sometimes the call does not end properly, which is something I often encounter on LINE as well.

What I have introduced above are free one-on-one voice or video teaching options. Next, let me show you how modern technology has made one-to-many voice or video teaching increasingly popular. If you haven't used it before, hurry up and learn from the following article, and you will find that technology is indeed a great helper in education.

First, I will introduce free software suitable for one-on-two or one-on-three teaching, and later I will introduce a method for a teacher with many students. I recommend using Skype for one-on-two or one-on-three lessons; whether for audio or video, it achieves excellent results, supporting up to 25 people in a video call. It seems that only Skype can do this now. As mentioned before, Skype is a highly mature software; during long conversations (classes require at least one hour or more), Skype is very stable and reliable, so everyone can give it a try. Teacher Mantou suggests that when conducting online teaching via video software, there are still differences compared to offline physical teaching. This difference does not mean offline is better than online; rather, online can be superior. The biggest difference lies in the teacher's teaching habits. In offline (tutoring centers), teachers can place students in an environment free from temptation and distractions, and your teaching won't be hindered by external influences. Unknowingly, teachers may begin to talk to themselves, while students cannot leave the classroom and must force themselves to pay attention. In online teaching, students are in their familiar environment, which might even be a public space (convenience store, coffee shop, park, etc.), and the teacher cannot see what distractions might be nearby. The teacher's teaching habits must change; making the lesson engaging and interactive, similar to coaching rather than traditional teaching, is more likely to be welcomed by online students. If you are an authoritative teacher, I suggest changing your mindset before going online, or you will definitely think that online teaching is useless. This is a common problem that I have noticed among teachers who come from traditional tutoring backgrounds, and I want to emphasize that online and offline are indeed different. Online is a trend; even if you don’t do it, everyone else will. Starting from scratch with an open mind and changing your mindset to prepare for online lessons will help you create a new and broader educational market (offline tutoring centers always have regional service limitations).

In addition to Skype, Google Hangouts is my second recommendation. I remember that Skype’s multi-party video calls were initially paid, but with the emergence of Google Hangouts, everyone can conduct multi-party video calls for free, leading many companies to switch from paid Skype business versions to the free Google Hangouts. Eventually, Skype was forced to make this feature available for free to everyone. Therefore, if we set aside popularity, I suggest you try Google Hangouts; just open the browser on your computer, install the app on your mobile phone or tablet, and log in with Gmail to use it directly.

You might ask me if LINE and Facebook can do one-to-many teaching? LINE previously launched an app called Popcorn Buzz, claiming that group calls could accommodate up to 200 people. LINE hoped that everyone would use this app for group voice chats (the press release mentioned future support for group video chats), but perhaps having to install another app is a hassle for everyone (the media promotion was also quite a failure; very few of my colleagues had heard of Popcorn Buzz, thinking it was selling popcorn). Eventually, LINE integrated the multi-party voice call feature into LINE groups, claiming that 200 people could chat simultaneously. However, I have not been able to find 200 people who want to chat at the same time (scheduling is challenging), so I cannot test the scenario of 200 people chatting simultaneously (just thinking about it sounds very noisy). From then on, Popcorn Buzz became less known. Also, when it said that a multi-party video chat feature would be added in the future, we have yet to see any signs of it. Update! On December 14, 2016, LINE launched a new version supporting four-person simultaneous video calls. Good job, LINE! I believe that four-person video calls are perfect for online tutoring, as almost everyone has LINE, so I recommend trying it out; the convenience of LINE definitely surpasses other communication software (in Taiwan). Facebook Messenger supports voice calls for 50 people, but multi-party video calls are still not supported. Update! On December 20, 2016, Facebook Messenger released a new version, allowing six people to display video calls simultaneously in addition to the original 50-person voice calls, and users can send stickers, emojis, GIFs, and use other Messenger features during conversations. The iOS version even has real-time makeup features like Snapchat, adding fun. FB has now surpassed LINE! It seems that multi-party video calls are becoming a basic requirement. Google Duo currently does not support multi-party voice or video calls, so you don’t need to consider Google Duo for now. I forgot to introduce another communication software, WeChat, which has the largest market share in mainland China. It supports simultaneous video calls for nine people, so you can test that out; it’s also free. (Note: If someone wants to do something bad in Taiwan, they will definitely use WeChat. If you want to know why, I will tell you that story later.)

If you want a lot of students to talk face-to-face, Skype is currently the software that supports the most people in the market, accommodating up to 25 people (24 plus yourself) on the same audio call. The maximum number of video streams will vary depending on the platform and the device you are using. Skype stipulates that multi-party video calls must comply with fair usage limits: individual video calls cannot exceed 4 hours, daily use cannot exceed 10 hours, and monthly use cannot exceed 100 hours. Once these time limits are reached, the video will be closed, and the call will switch to an audio call.

Just imagining the scene of 25 people in a video call is very shocking. Although I haven’t tried 25 people, I have experienced one-on-three video calls, and the results were acceptable (I initially thought it would be high-definition and super smooth like in movies). If you want to conduct face-to-face calls with three or four parties, the bandwidth and computer quality are absolutely crucial for ensuring quality. If the bandwidth is unstable or insufficient, or if the computer is slow (old or not running Windows 10), it’s best to avoid multi-party video teaching, especially since you cannot control the levels of the students’ computers or mobile devices. Unless you generously provide the students with iPads, is that possible?

Seeing this, you may feel a bit discouraged about one-to-many video teaching since you can't control the student side. I recommend trying one-on-two or one-on-three first. Spend a bit more time confirming the network and computer environment during the first lesson. If one-on-three is challenging (not smooth or laggy), you can drop down to one-on-two to test it out.

Next, I will introduce the hottest online teaching method today – live streaming. Earlier, we mentioned that when we actually conduct one-on-two or one-on-three video teaching, the presentation effect may be worse than expected. Changing network environments or computer (or mobile device) specifications is not easy. We can think from another perspective: does everyone (including students) need to face each other online as they do offline (in a tutoring center)? In ten years, it may be easily achievable, just like ten years ago, there were no iPhones or Android phones. Future technology will surely surpass what we have now; it will be unimaginable.

Live streaming is the most accepted online teaching method today. This year (2016) is the year of live streaming, where teachers transmit high-quality (HD 720P and above) video and audio to each student. Students can type questions to the teacher, which doesn’t interrupt the class (if a student speaks, the teacher must pause), and allows students who may not dare to speak up to express their opinions more easily. This method of live streaming for teaching is most suitable (it's even better for enrollment briefings, but that's another story).

Currently, the most popular live streaming method worldwide is Facebook and YouTube. YouTube, powered by Google, has excellent live streaming quality, reaching up to 1080P Full HD, but because currently, YouTube's live streaming on the teacher's end can only be done on a computer and requires third-party encoding software, I think it might be a bit difficult for teachers who are not familiar with computers to set up YouTube live streaming, so I suggest trying Facebook first, as Facebook Live is super easy! You can live stream simply by picking up your phone. In addition to being convenient, live streaming from a phone usually has lower latency, while using a computer might have about a 20-second delay. You may ask Teacher Mantou if everyone can see the Facebook live stream; can we set the audience for the live stream? The answer is yes; before starting the live stream, Facebook will ask you to choose the audience for the live stream. There are basically four options: public, friends, friends (excluding acquaintances), and only me. Aside from the fourth option, which is somewhat confusing (who would only live stream for themselves?), the other three are explained as follows: 'public' means everyone can see it (not just friends, open to the whole world, great for recruitment!), 'friends' and 'friends (excluding acquaintances)' are for streaming to your Facebook friends. If your Facebook friends list is minimal or you just joined Facebook, if you have many Facebook friends, how do you limit and categorize them? Teacher Mantou teaches you that you can assign friends to designated lists, such as a high school math class; when you stream, just choose that list. Speaking of this, I just realized I’ve never categorized my own Facebook friends; they are all just friends. It seems I should manage my Facebook better, as not everyone is a 'friend'. Additional information: you can only choose to stream to friends on personal Facebook accounts; if you are using a fan page to stream, unfortunately, it can only be public, and you cannot select friends (there are no friends on fan pages). Another update: FB has launched 360-degree live streaming, which is perfect for teaching in the classroom, making online students feel like they are in the same environment (seeing the offline classmates around).

After learning Facebook Live, let’s take a look at YouTube Live. YouTube is slightly more complex, but whether it’s Facebook or YouTube, students can directly enter Facebook fan pages or the URL (YouTube has a dedicated live streaming URL, while FB doesn’t have a fixed one) from their computers or phones to watch the live stream, so it’s not too difficult to use. However, the teacher's end is quite different; how so?

Before using YouTube Live, you need to install third-party software called an 'encoder.' The most commonly used one is Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). Then you input YouTube's live streaming server URL and key (a string of numbers). It sounds simple, but in practice, you will find that it takes at least half an hour to set everything up. If you are very concerned about live streaming quality and want 1080p, YouTube is definitely your best choice (I’ve heard that 4K live streaming will be available next year). YouTube can only be streamed from a computer, and currently, mobile live streaming is not available (there are mobile apps that support this overseas, but they require payment, so we won't discuss them here). I recommend buying a decent webcam, as the built-in camera on laptops is only passable and inconvenient for adjusting angles like a phone (laptops can only tilt up or down). Teacher Mantou suggests considering the Logitech C922 WEBCAM with a tripod to easily set up a professional studio (of course, if the budget is higher, there are more professional video products available).

On YouTube, the audience can choose from three options: public, unlisted, and private. Viewers (students) need to have a YouTube account and must be logged in to watch the videos. For free courses or briefings, use 'public'; public videos can be searched and viewed by everyone. Unlisted and private videos will not be searchable and will not publicly display the event, but anyone who knows the event link (URL) can participate and watch the unlisted live stream. Teacher Mantou recommends starting with private settings and sharing the private link with students' Gmail addresses before the live stream; only students who receive your invitation can join the event. You can share the event with a specific domain, group, or individual. Once students log in, they can view the live stream. After researching, I found no indications of a limit on the number of participants for YouTube's private live streaming; larger classes should accommodate well.

Whether it’s YouTube or Facebook during the live stream, students can type questions, and the teacher can answer directly via video after seeing the questions. Even better, you can choose to record the session simultaneously, which can later be used as online course content (as for how to download it, that's another story).

If you’re interested in live streaming, Teacher Mantou has an advanced tip: the higher-level application of live streaming is to allow students to CALL IN. During the live stream, the teacher lets students call in with LINE/Messenger/Skype to answer questions (you can prepare another phone and use the speaker so everyone can hear), which not only increases interactivity but also makes the whole class lively. You might want to give it a try.

Lastly, I advise everyone that the internet environment used during online teaching is extremely important. It’s best to use home ADSL or fiber broadband Wi-Fi. General public Wi-Fi or mobile 3G/4G often encounters unstable connections or momentary drops, especially when moving or in crowded environments, which can lead to network congestion. These issues will affect teaching; everyone surely doesn’t want to suddenly lose connection halfway through a class!

That’s all from Teacher Mantou on 'Using Free Software for Online Live Teaching.' If you have any questions about this lesson, feel free to ask on the Knowledge Academy's LINE or Facebook. Teacher Mantou loves students who ask questions and will certainly answer your queries carefully!

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