How Video Webcasts are Improving Education

Businesses of all types are using video webcasts to facilitate communication. One area that's using video webcasting to good effect is education. Similar to one-on-one interaction with a teacher in person or in a small group, video webcasting allows educators to interact with students from afar while also reaching a larger group. The experience still feels intimate, yet a greater number of students are able to benefit. Below are a few examples of how educators are using video webcasts to improve education.

Using Video Webcasts as a Direct Teaching Method

One of the most common uses of video webcasting involves actually teaching. The Khan Academy is the perfect example of the power of webcasting as a teaching medium. With a massive library filled with instructional content available to any student around the globe at no charge, Khan Academy's video webcasts deliver knowledge in an innovative way. Need to learn about quadrilaterals or how to find the perimeter of a parallelogram? Khan Academy has a short video webcast that clearly explains it. Not sure what anti-matter is? Spend 20 minutes or so watching Khan'sIntroduction to the Atom video webcast and find out.

In addition to providing content to students on demand, Khan Academy also integrates into traditional classrooms. Teachers can become a Khan Academy coach and use Khan Academy webcasts in the classroom. Various resources including a "virtual teacher workshop" are available to help teachers successfully implement Khan Academy into their classrooms. Students, parents, and teachers alike are learning new topics and getting answers to their questions by logging in and clicking the "play" button.

While Khan Academy is an innovative platform for learning, it's not the only organization to use video webcasting to educate students. Another fine example is NASA's Digital Learning Network. Now in its 10th year, NASA's Digital Learning Network delivers STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) content based on NASA missions and research. Currently, three channels are available: DLiNfo Channel, NASA Langley Special Events, and NASA Glenn Special Events. Past webcasts have included coverage of the International Space Station and Hubble telescope as well as interviews with astronauts.

iTunes University

Apple Distinguished Educators often share their experiences with other teachers on iTunes University - of course with an Apple twist. For example, teachers who have successfully integrated iPads and other Apple products into the classroom show other teachers how they did it and the results they achieved via the Apple Summer Semester webcast series on iTunes University.

Instructional Support

Another way that video webcasting is helping to improve education involves instructional support. For example, the Kentucky Department of Education is using video webcasts to provide agency updates, college and career readiness forecasts, school readiness updates, and much more to improve public schools in the state. According to its Instructional Support Network webpage, the department uses webcasting to "...build the capacity of district administrators to provide leadership in making connections between planning for instruction and planning for professional development. It is these connections that provide the foundation for continuous school improvement."

From teaching students directly to fostering administrative leadership and sharing tips for implementing technology in the classroom, video webcasting is helping to improve education. How will your organization put video webcasting to good use?