Virtual learning has been thrust upon schools—some which had already been considering it, and others wading into the waters for the first time. Either way, institutions will save time and money by thinking about the long-term versus stop-gap measures that may not be best suited to their needs.
By doing the right research and taking this opportunity to assess the future beyond the current pandemic, some schools might find that an enterprise video platform could help them be more efficient—whenever the world gets back to “business as usual.”
Educational institutions need to take a two-pronged approach to find the right video solution: internal and external. Here is a brief look at how to view them both:
Internal assessment
Before you know how any video solution can benefit your institution, you need to know what features you want and need.
You can certainly parallel path some of the research, but overall it’s important to have the internal assessment buttoned up first to ensure you’re asking the right questions when investigating options.
- Communicate: Identify and reach out to the key stakeholders to collect data. Their responses are vital to not only informing what it is your institution is looking for, but also making sure everyone feels listened to and can buy in on the process.
- Document: The survey process will shine a lot on the wants and needs of your school. From the tasks your technology must support to the capabilities and features it needs for streamlined integration, it’s important to list and categorize them all to ensure every box is checked in the next phase.
- Prioritize: When documentation is complete, it’s important to identify the must-haves and the nice-to-haves. This will be crucial when comparing options.
External assessment
Armed with a clear picture of what you’re looking for, now it’s time to choose the right video enterprise provider for optimized virtual learning.
Keep the following considerations in mind as you do your research:
- User friendly: What good is even the most technologically efficient system if it isn’t intuitive for the user? If uploading, viewing, storing and all other tasks aren’t simple, look elsewhere.
- LMS integration: Whatever platform you choose must be able to seamlessly integrate with your school’s current technology. Your platform should offer integration modules and 24/7 support to ensure a hassle-free transition.
- Device and format compatibility: Compatibility concerns don’t stop at LMS. You want your video platform to work with as many devices and as many formats as possible to accommodate all students and faculty. This allows the focus to be on learning instead of technology.
- Content management: Having an intuitive, centralized video storage system in place makes it easy for users to find what they need.
- In-video functionality: From search to quizzes to feedback, in-video features provide vital tools to maximize engagement and efficiency with online learning.
- Analytics: IT administrators and instructors have separate, but equally important analytics needs. On the IT side, server health and network usage need to be regularly checked and optimized. For instructors, it’s important to follow-up on engagement and viewing activity to help them understand what’s working best and to better personalize future video learning sessions.
These are difficult times for learning institutions, which first and foremost need to prioritize the health of their students and faculty as we all face the challenges of a pandemic. But by making the right choice for virtual learning now, schools can serve students in the short-term while providing future students and faculty with the best possible online learning solution.
VidGrid is offering complimentary access to any Higher Education institution in need of a video solution through the end of the 2020 Spring semester.
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