Web conferencing - my thoughts as a first time user

This morning I signed on to the web conference for the lecture.  Initially I found the echo of sound to be a little confusing and difficult to understand until my ears adjusted.  I wanted to just be an observer of the process and see how it all worked.  However with only 13 people in the room, it was difficult not to engage in the conversation, no matter how slow or awkward I felt in my understanding of the material or using the tools.  (I include typing when I use the word conversation).   There is a lot going on inside the classroom, a bit like a typical busy classroom when the students are engaged in learning.  There is conversation, questions, discussion, visual, and a blackboard.  (I went back into the class later in the day to have practice writing on the board; while no one was looking, I think I have sussed it out now!)  What an amazing tool for interactive, distance learning.  This sits within the social cognitivism learning theory where learning takes place through conversation.