Eric Burns, co-founder and CEO, Panopto
What are you seeing as the biggest trends in higher ed video?
Lecture capture solutions are becoming as prevalent as email on college campuses, and institutions are using video in new ways to enhance pedagogy. For example, the flipped classroom has been something of a “silent revolution,” helping instructors reclaim class time for learning activities that work only when students are together in the same room. Video is also enhancing student assignments, becoming a part of how classroom presentations and final projects are delivered. Cost-effective development of online programs and MOOC content is increasingly a byproduct of existing lecture capture investments. In a growing number of institutions, lecture capture is transitioning from optional to a standard component of every class, largely driven by student demand.
How are these trends impacting the way that university leaders invest in technology?
In the past, institutions often invested in video solutions that, due to their cost and complexity, could be implemented only in the largest lecture halls. Now, schools are outfitting every classroom in every department with lecture capture, creating massive and perpetual video libraries of their academic output. To do this cost-effectively, university leaders are looking for video platforms flexible enough to accommodate the unique logistical requirements of each learning space. Vendors who can’t provide this “infinite customization” stand to lose from growing expectations of video as a pervasive technology.
We’re also seeing video become a factor in infrastructure decisions. For example, at University of Central Florida, the rapid growth in enrollment over the last few years led to students jockeying for seats in overcrowded lecture halls. To address the issue, UCF is now livestreaming many of its most popular courses. This ensures that students who can’t physically sit in the classroom still get an equivalent, first-rate educational experience.
How is video impacting higher ed business and delivery models?
A few years ago, at the height of the MOOC bubble, there was a popular notion that online learning would bring about the death of traditional higher education. That notion couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, we’re seeing online programs expand access to higher education by reaching students who may not have otherwise been able to attend a traditional residential program. And we’re seeing the residential model standing stronger than ever as schools use technology to double down on the unique value of learning in physical proximity.
What impact are these changes having on the teaching and learning experience?
When you visit a classroom today, you see faculty using technology in general, and video specifically, to reclaim class time, facilitate active learning activities, and develop a new style of teaching that adjusts to the needs of individual students. The emergence of this adaptive learning pedagogy and highly customized individual learning paths is incredibly exciting.
When students have access to a searchable repository of every lecture and classroom recording, it provides a foundation for that personalized learning. Students can consume course material at their own pace, in any location, and in bite-size chunks as they hop between devices. Video also helps students engage in the classroom without the need to feverishly scribble notes, and to quickly recall course material as they study for exams.
Institutions are increasingly looking for ways to support the learning styles of individual students rather than forcing students to adapt. It’s inspiring to know that video is playing a part in that transition.
For more information, visit www.panopto.com
