Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a Virtual School?
How do I attend?
What is the format of the video conference?
Is technical support provided?
What equipment is required?
Can the video conference be taped for future classes?
What is the cancellation policy?
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What is a Virtual School?
The Vanderbilt Virtual School is a way to utilize the latest video conferencing technology to interact in a multi-point, educational video conference. Sometimes they are designed to enhance popular topics among K-12 students (Career Discussions, Great Explorers), sometimes for historic value (Voices of the Holocaust) and sometimes just to have fun (Storytelling, Tales and Legends).
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How do I attend?
Look through our Catalog to find the course or courses that you feel would be most beneficial to your class. Fill out our registration form and if space is available, we will contact you to schedule a test call.
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What is the format of the video conference?
Each video conference typically lasts 45 minutes. The first 25 – 30 minutes is for presentation with the last portion designed for an interactive Q & A session between the presenter and students. The presenter is encouraged to bring other audio/visual materials to enhance the video conference. This may include DVD’s, Power Point, Visual Aids, etc.
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Is technical support provided?
We do test calls with each confirmed school the week before the scheduled video conference to verify that a successful connection can be made. We will do our best to assist the teacher/bridge to work out any technical difficulties. Due to the many technical aspects that are involved with a video conference (protocols, IP connections, routers, firewalls, etc), we recommend that the attending school have someone available for troubleshooting on your end. During the video conference we will have technical support available should a problem arise.
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What equipment is required?
The basics of video conferencing include the following:
- Video Conference Camera – the two most common are Polycom and Tandberg.
- TV Monitor/Projector for viewing the presentation
- Audio speakers for hearing the presentation
- IP lines accessible to the video camera. Note: ISDN connections are no longer supported by Vanderbilt Virtual School
Some school systems have a bridge which bridges the connection between Vanderbilt Virtual School and the attending school. There are also some other technologies that are used but the basics of a video conference are covered above. 
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Can the video conference be taped for future classes?
Videotaping of Virtual School videoconferences is strictly not allowed due to legal issues such as informed consent, jurisdiction, confidentiality, standards of practice, and supervision. We currently do not offer On Demand, Video Recordings, or Web Streaming of our video conferences.
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Podcasting
We plan to add Podcasting of some of our videoconferences during the Fall, 2007 season. Please keep checking our website for future updates.
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Cancellation Policy:
The full program fee will be charged to sites which cancel with less than 48 hours notice of program date except for weather emergencies or catastrophic events. "No shows" will incur a $75 cancellation fee.
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