DE Oracle @ UMUC

Skype Experiences and Options

Heloisa Siffert

Senior Instructional Support Specialist

Center for Support of Instruction

Published: March-April 2010

Category: » Tech-skills-software » Skype

I have to confess that I am a Skype fan and have been a user for a long time—since it was in its beta version in 2003. Skype is a Web tool that allows you to make free video or voice calls over the Internet, and it offers many ways to communicate with other people. Users can call each other via their computers connected to the Internet, from a computer to a landline phone and vice-versa, or to and from landline phones using the Internet to connect. I had been waiting for a tool like this for a long time, and when free long-distance communication became available, it seemed like a dream come true.

Using Skype 

Skype provided a way for me to bridge the gap between my friends and family in Brazil and me in Maryland. While Skype can help on personal level, it can also be a solution for business as well as the educational environment. It provides a free or low-cost communication service that can help facilitate interaction in an online course.

I have held conference calls using Skype with people in Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Africa, and Brazil a few times. Skype holds audio very well—but video quality depends on the users' Internet connections.

I recommend turning the video off and keeping it simple with just audio. If you need to see someone's face or a place, turn the video on for a few minutes and then carry on with the audio. Your experience this way will be much more comfortable and less stressful than trying to get everyone's video to work clearly throughout the call. 

In distance education, the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can play an important role because it is free. It can be great for study group work or instructor's conference with a group of students. My group experiences with Skype were always with a maximum of five participants.

Calling/Communication Options

Skype offers numerous communication services; the following four options are just a few that faculty may find useful:

1. Skype-to-Skype Calls (free) 

Skype-to-Skype calls can be conducted when both users are on their computers, and the communication is transferred entirely through the computers via the Internet. If both parties also have webcams, they can conduct free video calls. Several other useful features are also available when both users are on their computers, such as instant messaging, file transfer, and voice mail.

2. Skype-to-Phone Calls (low fee)

Skype provides some low-cost alternatives if the person you are trying to reach is not on the computer. From your own computer, you can use Skype to call phone numbers around the world. The phone number you call can be for a cell phone or a landline phone. What I do frequently is call a person's regular phone number and ask him/her to go online so that we can use the free VoIP service from Skype, computer to computer.

3. SkypeIn Number (low fee)

Skype also allow you to buy a phone number in another country with its SkypeIn number feature. I used this feature to by a phone number in Rio, Brazil. With my SkypeIn number, my family or friends can call this number anytime (no need to be online) from a their phone and it charges them as a local call. On my Skype account, I set up my calls to be forwarded to my cell phone. In other words, I get a call from Brazil in my cell phone from someone using a landline or cell phone (paying local charges) via the Internet, and I pay an inexpensive fee to keep my SkypeIn number in Rio. There are currently 25 countries from which you can buy SkypeIn numbers. The list is growing, so it is worth checking to see if the country where you are interested in buying a SkypeIn number is available.

4. Skype To Go Number (low fee)

I also have a Skype phone number here in Maryland (Skype To Go number) that I can dial, and I reach my contact list (pre-loaded in my Skype account) from which I can choose to call people all over the world for a very low fee. If the person/number is not listed in my contact list, I can still dial the number after entering my Skype local (Maryland) number and following the options available.

New Features and More Information

Skype has continually added new services to its arsenal. Screen sharing is the latest new feature from Skype, available in beta version for now only for Macs. With this new feature, you can show a PowerPoint or discuss a document visible to all on the Skype call if they are all using their computers. You can share part or all of your screen with the other call attendees.

You can visit the Skype Web site for more information on this feature and the other services provided by Skype—as well as a free download of the Skype utility.