This Q&A is based on an interaction that took place in the Ask a Techo forum 12 August 2004.

What do you do when you’re working over thin wires with remote students who don’t have the written literacy to converse adequately using email or chat rooms?

It seems webcams are problematic in remote situations - too much information trying to get through old, over-crowded, ‘in need of repair’ phone systems that are subject to storm interference.

One suggestion is Microsoft Netmeeting - a multi-purpose tool for face-to-face conversations and collaborative projects. See this 'how to' for some ideas on what it can be used for. Alternately, try Zdnet's communications section. For the bandwidth challenged IP telephony may be better than video, using Australia Post for distributing larger slabs of graphic content and meeting online for discussion and comment.

There are satellite solutions, but their implementation costs are significant. Also, a high tech solution is a double-edged sword. Unless you have excellent technical support (especially at the users end) you'll spend more time maintaining the system than using it. However, if you're keen to try, you'll need some background information on the services available. Paul Budde has a downloadable report on high-speed satellite services in Australia. It costs around $AU60 but will make you an instant expert.

You can find a Telstra-centric spin on their western region webpage (this is for western NSW, but will apply to other outback regions too). Possibly you could get assistance from the Telstra foundation.

If it was my money? I'd be sending out plenty of mail, written cartoon style material and/or CDs (lots of little packages over time rather than one big one - a serial, stay tuned for next weeks exciting episode!) followed up by phone calls, possibly a teleconference. If your students have access to more than one line AND a computer then perhaps a Netmeeting blackboard in conjunction with the phone conversation and the written material.

If you’re really forced to spend some money, how about developing some homebrew playstation games and distribute them with a console (a modified second hand PS1 costs less than $50 and still has street cred).

A low tech solution might be to create a "video letter" ( ie a presentation to camera). Create an .AVI ( or .mov) file with your webcam or camcorder, burn it to CD-rom and post it via Australia post. You can then support and enhance it with mail etc. The beauty of this is you’re not relying on low bandwidth connections at all.

Resources referred to in this article:

Microsoft Netmeeting:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting/

Zdnet's Communication Section:
http://zdnet.com.com/Communications/2001-2152_2-0.html?tag=stbc.gp

High Speed Satellite Services in Australia
http://www.budde.com.au/Reports/Contents/Australia-High-speed-satellite-services-3013.html

Western Region Webpage:
http://telstra.com/countrywide/westernnsw/localtelstra.asp?page=whatsdoing&SMSESSION=NO