Audio conferencing in distance education means teaching in which the communication is by telephone. A conference can be conducted with individual students at their homes or offices but is usually with groups of students. Quality of sound is very important and many conferences fail because regular office speakerphones are used instead of proper audio-conference microphone-speaker equipment. While technically, almost any number of sites can be joined together, it is best for inexperienced instructors to limit the number to three or four sites until they have developed their teaching techniques.

Instructors must learn four major strategies:

• To create a supportive learning environment
• To present information when there are no visual images
• To ensure participation and interaction
• To obtain feedback when they cannot see the learners

• M. Monson, Bridging the Distance: An Instructional Guide to Teleconferencing
  
  

  Derek Rowntree, Making Your Own Audio Package

  Michael G. Moore and Greg Kearsley, Audioconferencing

• Instructional audio: University of Idaho

• Michael G. Moore, "Audioconferencing in Distance Education." Available at http://www.knight-moore.com/html/ajde8-1.html. Permission to link granted.