If you have taken an elearning course, chances are that at some point there was a video component. For quite some time now, elearning developers have been utilizing video delivery as a method to present information. If the videos are delivered properly, the use of video to supplement content is an effective tool.

It should come as no surprise then that the use of live-streaming video is gaining popularity within online learning settings in education.

In August of this year, a video conferencing in education survey was administered using Google Consumer Surveys. This survey was delivered to approximately 500 American students of all ages who were currently enrolled in college or university (or some other higher education institution).

The findings from this survey confirm what many of us would probably guess about the use of live-streaming video in education: it plays a critical role, and that role is growing in importance.

Roughly 41% of survey respondents indicated that they used video conferencing on a laptop or mobile device for school related activities in the past year.  One in three indicated that they will attend a virtual classroom or use distance learning in the coming academic year.

But Why Live-Stream?

Naturally, video conferencing has advantages – but what specifically? The survey requested that students provide some feedback as to why they are using video conferencing. Some of the more popular reasons included:

• “I can be present when I couldn’t otherwise”
• “Provides access to resources and information”
• “Enables me to be more productive”
• “Helps me feel more connected”

It is easy to see why students have these sentiments towards video conferencing in elearning. Live streaming makes learning events more accessible, both physically and financially. What’s more, our mobile devices are conduits to video conferencing growth. The Ericsson Mobility Report (2013) states:

As video conferencing evolves beyond fixed facilities in meeting rooms to being used on mobile devices it will also drive video traffic growth in mobile networks.

Our culture is not only ready to take on recorded video of past events, but live streaming on a larger scale. It is reasonable to expect the use of live streaming to increase in both quality and quantity in the very near future, most likely riding on the popularity of MOOC and MOOC-like programs.

 

Sources:

Third Annual CourseSmart Survey of Technology and Education, conducted by Wakefield Research

Ericsson Mobility Report, 2013