In the last few years we have been observing a significant trend in the education sector about the use of video conferencing.
The concept of video conferences is not new to us; we have been using this technology hugely in corporate sector and needless to say this technology has made globalization easier in many ways. Observing the tremendous advantages, many leading institutes and education leaders have started using virtual classrooms to deliver even their mainstream courses. There are several researches that focus on the role of video conferencing in education highlighting the benefits.
British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) conducted a research that brings evidence about video conferencing across the educational sectors with following key benefits:
- Allows interactive access to experts.
- Enables collaboration by teachers and learners with peers.
- Enriches the experience of distance education by reducing feelings of isolation and encouraging interaction.
- Raises student motivation.
In another post on TechLearning about video conferencing in education the author Jody Howard Kennedy mentions how video conferencing is promoting tolerance and global awareness among students and the youth. He mentions that institutions that carry videoconferencing, can add value to lessons and enable teachers to give students the opportunity to interact with experts without leaving the classroom, thus making the world a resource for all the knowledge and insights one wishes to gain.
Some other benefits includes students from remote areas can learn with quality teachers and content via this technology. Also, as sessions are recorded in real time you always have back up for the times you need to make a revision call, the possibility of real time feedback and conducting remote lectures by creating a virtual classroom environment. This is one way that colleges are extensively using video conferences for increasing student acquisition in their distant learning and regular courses. End result is student performance improvement and making star teacher accessible to all the students.
One of the best solutions for lecture recording and video conferencing available today is offered by Bangalore based Impartus Innovations. The video learning solution by Impartus lets academic institutions drive pedagogical improvements for better learning and engagement of students. The students can review classroom sessions online in the form of interactive and collaborative video tools. Students can do self-paced learning and access content through laptops or any mobile device from anywhere.
Impartus virtual classroom offers cutting edge features to help higher education institutes deliver quality education.
1. Use of Multiple Cameras in VC for Show-And-Tell Scenarios
The Impartus solution can record videos from multiple cameras to make sure that students are being able to see every action especially in a lab, practicals and demonstrations. This is crucial as to make sure that students don’t miss any important steps of any procedure. Also the tool records from multiple views i.e. professor view, student view, presentation and close up of blackboard just to make sure that students don’t skip on anything and are provided with real time classroom experience.
2. Moderated Sessions with Hand-Raise
The real feel of being in the classroom is possible virtually with this solution. The professors can moderate their sessions to avoid any disturbance and yet students have provision to raise hands in case they have any query.
3. Real Time Polling to Get an Instant Feedback
In the middle of the session, the professors can initiate a poll to get a real time feedback from the participants. It is important for the professors to understand how well the students are consuming the lectures and if any curation is required.
4. Recording of VC Lectures for Later On-Demand Viewing
This is one of the best features that are being offered. The solution records all the video streams and other content. Be it for reference or the revision, students can access the content later as to meet their learning needs. One of the key benefits for the students is to revise their lectures anytime especially before exams. The feature helps them in deep subject understanding and therefore it improves their grades.
5. Multi-Resolution Broadcast for Better User Experience
The users get the best screen experience for the broadcast that is being done on their end is multi resolution. So, no worries about the sound or video quality no matter whether you use a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop the quality is being delivered from their end.
Amit Mahensaria, co-founder of Impartus comments, “Videos are bringing in drastic enhancements in the learning behavior of students. Impartus is continuously working to develop a world class product suited to the Indian teaching and learning requirements. We believe that the reason for our strong growth and widespread adoption by premier institutes is superior product quality, great utility to users and strong on field support.”
Relatable Read: Case Study: Practicing Video-Enabled Learning in a Higher Ed Institution
Leading to an age where technology is the center for all the actions, video conferencing is the best way to connect with people. Keeping this in mind Impartus is bridging the gap between students and the teachers keeping the real-life experience intact.
What are your thoughts on the use of video conferencing in education? Are you familiar with any such tool or a fan of Impartus?
