Topic 1 Video conference platforms Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams

What is Intergenerational Learning using Video Conferencing?

Educators must have a diverse set of skills and knowledge to effectively facilitate learning among learners of different age groups, whether adults, youth or children, and learners with diverse cultural and social backgrounds.

This interaction involves school students discussing an agreed school curriculum topic via video conference with a community of elders living at a residential aged care facility. One of the objectives for this purposeful interaction is mutual and reciprocal learning. Research shows that there are other social, behavioral and health benefits for both age groups as a result of the interactions. This activity also helps to reduce loneliness, social isolation, lack of meaningful mental stimulation and boredom of many older people. It may also inspire school students to think about a career in health and aged care.

With the world relying more and more on technology, it is important to get all generations involved into more interesting learning/teaching process. The first quite new, but well-known way – online teaching/learning, online conference – using video conference platforms. The main principles of the most common platforms, their usage and hidden tricks:

• Zoom
• Google Meets
• Microsoft Teams