Online learning has changed the game for thousands of children and adults across the world. It provides students with access to learning resources and enables those who may not be able to leave their home or travel the opportunity to keep learning, whether this is due to a more unique circumstance like a global pandemic, or someone simply doesn’t have the money or means to do so.
While more prevalent instances like a pandemic highlight to us just how important online education is in our time of need, actually, it is something that should be valued and prioritised no matter society’s circumstances. There is always going to be a demand for online education and resources, making it essential for teachers, schools, and organisations to understand how to record and stream online learning videos to their students. By adapting to the times now and offering high-quality education videos online, you can provide many students all over the world with an enjoyable and enhanced learning experience that they may not otherwise have had access to.
The tools needed for streaming online learning videos don’t have to be top of the range or involve you forking out a ton of money. Whether its children of school age or adults you’re educating, a smartphone and tripod can suffice. Once you have the basic recording equipment and have found the right streaming provider for your needs, the rest should fall into place.
The quality you want to offer your students will determine how much equipment is required. It’s entirely possible to keep your production costs low while also offering highly engaging and educational videos.
If you are aiming your videos at young children or infants that are dynamic, involving demonstrations, gestures, and animated facial expressions, an HD-quality camera is advised to ensure your teaching translates well on their end and keeps young children engaged. Whereas online learning videos targeted at adults may be more focused on audio, where a smartphone or even screen-recording can be more effective - there’s no need to invest money in an HD camera if you’re simply showing students presentation slides. Besides, most smartphones these days can offer top-quality video feeds.
As well as getting to grips with your recording set-up and testing your internet connection, you will need to decide on a suitable video sharing platform or streaming provider.
Of course, there are a number of dedicated educational platforms like Edmodo or Panopto that allow teachers and students to simply create accounts and access content, though in the process you may lose control of your content and find yourself having to stand out in a crowd of educational videos.
Using more general streaming providers, like Zidivo, allows you to share your education videos online on your own website or webpages and take complete control of how your stream looks and who has access to the stream. With Zidivo, you can create your own branded up webpages to dedicate to a stream or on-demand learning video and share this with your class.
What’s more, the platform is completely affordable, whether you plan to offer remote learning short-term due to a current situation, or you want to offer your classes online on a consistent and regular basis. What you pay for Zidivo does not reflect the quality or range of features available - it is a full-service platform allowing teachers to talk through the entire process of uploading or streaming an online learning video with a friendly expert. You can even use analytics to monitor how many of your class have tuned in to lessons and how long they have viewed your class for to educate future videos and make sure you are keeping everyone engaged and interested.
Once you’re happy with the technicalities of streaming your classes online, it’s time to get stuck in. As a teacher, you will likely have lessons planned and a strong idea of what your students react well to and engage with, but doing this through a camera can be more of a challenge. Keep in mind that confidence is key - be your usual self and don’t take your videos too seriously, no matter how daunting it may be.
Aim to break up your online learning videos into different topics and upload your streams as on-demand videos once complete. This way, students can attend your classes at a later date or rewatch sections that cover specific topics they may struggle with.
Why not make the most of online discussion boards or host video calls with your class after each lesson to talk through different topics and start debates. There are plenty of ways to adapt your teaching methods and styles to the online world - you just have to be willing to try new things and let yourself and your students have fun with it!
Aside from the obvious importance of online education that current events and crises can highlight, there is a wide range of valuable benefits for both students and teachers to offering learning resources online. Schools or organisations can gain increased exposure and reach an audience that they may have otherwise not had access to. On top of this, you are sure to notice far more students interacting, asking questions and voicing opinions online than in class, simply because there is less pressure or risk involved for them.
If you’re ready to start streaming or uploading online learning videos to your site, whether you’re a school, industry leader, teacher, or just an individual that has valuable knowledge to share, get in touch with Zidivo today or start a free 30-day trial of the platform!
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