An Impending Accessibility Backlash

Software developers are trained in accessibility issues for front-end development and basic concepts like labeling control elements and reporting state changes to assistive technology—screen-readers—are part of a professional developer's code testing procedures. Despite this progress, two very different forces are swirling with the potential to push back on the trend towards better technological inclusion of the disabled.

Follow-the-Presenter Tools for DIY Instructional Videos

Until fairly recently, if a teacher wanted to produce a DIY instructional video untethered to a fixed point in front of a camera, they'd need to remotely control either a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) head or a multicamera switcher. With the arrival of competent and inexpensive facial recognition software, several consumer videoconferencing cameras now offer automatic framing to allow teachers or other presenters to move around a scene to better engage with viewers and interact with props and visual aids.

Learning on YouTube

YouTube Player for Education is something to keep an eye on as it matures in 2023. I don't expect it to be a particularly disruptive technology, but it will prove a welcome way for teachers who are exceptionally on camera to augment their teaching salaries.

Teaching With Dante

A commonly used streaming media technology at schools, conference centers, and houses of worship is Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet). A Dante-enabled device can be plugged into a Dante network using a standard Category 5e or Category 6 network cable; the network connects devices using either 100Mbps or gigabit network switches, typically with Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities.

Gear for the HyFlex Teaching and Learning Space

The name of the game for designing a hybrid classroom or meeting space is balancing inclusivity of the remote and on-premise audiences that a colleague sometimes refers to as the "zoomers" and "roomers," respectively. Here's a look at some gear that can help you achieve that balance.

Rotoscope with AI Assist

Want to give your video the look of the "Take on Me" video? Here are some tools and tips that will let you create a rotoscope version.

How to Choose A Video Management System for Schools and Universities

So you need a new video management system (VMS) for your organization? Here are some suggestions for making sure your VMS doesn't compromise your school's or your students' data.

Online Video Learning: Just as Good as In Person?

There's been a lot written about online educational video since the beginning of the pandemic, and the results are surprising, though far from conclusive.

Pandemic Mergers and Acquisitions in Educational Video

Three transactions from the last year illustrate how educational video providers are capitalizing on trends in streaming media, both specific to e-learning and more broadly

How to Design a Hybrid Classroom

In-person or virtual? It's no longer one or the other, and schools and universities need to have clear strategies for delivering hybrid education to their students.

Back to School with New Video Teaching Skills

Educators learned a lot about video learning over the last 18 months. With most schools reopening this fall, how do you integrate those new skills and techniques into the physical classroom?

Reaching the Global Classroom

China provides a particularly interesting global classroom case study, due to both its huge population size and the difficulty of operating in its networks.

Educational Video and Protecting Student Rights

Both student privacy and accessibility need to be considered by any school, college, or university that's using video for education.

The Digital Divide and COVID-19

One of the few upsides of the pandemic is that many schools whose students were on the wrong side of the digital divide now have access to high-speed internet

Rasing the Bar for Educational Video

It's time to "level up" your video instruction strategies. Here are a few concepts to rally around to help you do so.

Are Schools Missing the Podcast Wave?

Podcasts have swelled in popularity. So why aren't more schools and universities riding the rising tide?

School Announcements on Ice(cast)

Some schools are moving to newscast-style video announcements. Icecast offers an effective way to deliver them efficiently and effectively.

Tips for Teaching with Video for the First Time

As COVID-19 shuts down universities and school districts, streaming video can save instructors and their students. Here are some tips for how to use it right.

Video Helps Keep Schools Secure

The use of security cameras in schools is growing. Look for educational institutions and vendors to creatively squeeze value from fixed camera systems in schools by expanding the audience for the video footage while avoiding critical safety or privacy problems.

Educators Need Resources That Simulate the Digital Divide

With more learning materials going online, educators need to be sure all their students have access. Learn about programs that show the limits of poor-quality networks.