Comparison of popular video conferencing apps using client-side measurements on different backhaul networks

Video conferencing platforms have been appropriated during the COVID-19 pandemic for different purposes, including classroom teaching. However, the platforms are not designed for many of these objectives. When users, like educationists, select a platform, it is unclear which platform will perform better given the same network and hardware resources to meet the required Quality of Experience (QoE). Similarly, when developers design a new video conferencing platform, they do not have clear guidelines for making design choices given the QoE requirements. In this paper, we provide a set of networks and systems measurements, and quantitative user studies to measure the performance of video conferencing apps in terms of both, Quality of Service (QoS) and QoE. Using those metrics, we measure the performance of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, which are three popular platforms in education and business. We find a substantial difference in how the three apps treat video and audio streams. Our quantitative user studies confirm the findings of our quantitative measurements. While each platform has its benefits, we find that no app is ideal. A user can choose a suitable platform depending on which of the following, audio, video, or network bandwidth, matters more. © 2022 ACM.

Enriching and Energizing the Virtual Classroom using Breakout Sessions: A better experience of Active Learning during Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted educational institutes all over the World. As teachers and students adapt to the new normal, Zoom, Google meet, Microsoft teams, or Cisco WebEx have become the most sought-after platforms for distance learning. The challenge for teachers and students in online learning is active peer engagement. To encourage problem-based learning, online platforms allow the creation of breakout rooms. Breakout rooms are private chat rooms where small groups of 3-4 students discuss unique problem statements allocated to them and employ peer learning methods through interpersonal communication. Teachers or facilitators enrich the knowledge of the students in active learning sessions. This research paper dives deep into the benefits, drawbacks, and implications of breakout rooms in E-learning environments. It is a collective case study on the use of breakout rooms by students and facilitators at an elite engineering college in Maharashtra, India. The first-hand experience of undergraduate Computer Science students and their Database Management Systems teacher is being considered. Student recommendations on use of breakout rooms have been consolidated at the end of this paper. Through our analysis and encouraging statistics, we wish to advocate the use of breakout rooms to engage students, in online learning platforms. © 2022, Rajarambapu Institute Of Technology. All rights reserved.