6 Reasons to Use Video Conferencing for Education

The world of education is changing. The percentage of students enrolled in online courses have increased dramatically over the last few years with overall post-secondary enrollments experiencing a decline. 

In 2017, 15.4% of post-secondary students were enrolled in online education exclusively, with a further 17.6%  taking some of their credits online.

With more and more students going online for education, it is vital that educational institutions look for ways to add distance learning options to their classrooms. 

Highly flexible and collaborative video conferencing tools have the potential to open up new doors to education. Here are just some of the reasons to invest in video conferencing for education.

Reason #1: Reach new students in remote areas

Students in rural areas are often limited in their education options. Video conferencing technologies allow students in remote or distant areas to access educational opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible without sacrificing group learning and student/teacher relationships.

While remote areas can cause challenges for internet connectivity, flexible video conferencing solutions that monitor video quality and adapt bandwidth usage based on network conditions can open up doors for education that would allow an even greater number of students to participate. 

Reason #2: Maintain Interactivity in an Online Learning Environment

Online education has traditionally been asynchronous and has allowed students to complete their coursework at their leisure. While this allows for increased flexibility for the student, it also keeps them away from valuable collaboration opportunities that can help cement learning.

Video conferencing software can help humanize the online learning environment by opening up avenues for face-to-face interaction. Students are able to collaborate with other students easily and attend lectures in real-time no matter their current location.

Reason #3: Easily record lectures for students who are unable to attend live.

When synchronous lectures are not a possibility or when students want to rewatch a lecture at a later date to facilitate further understanding, video recording can be a valuable tool. 

A highly flexible video conferencing tool will allow you the choice to record individual streams (ex: the teacher's stream) or to mix the streams together into a single canvas(ex: a group discussion). This will allow you to create the most engaging experience for the student viewer. Not only that, but you can decide how and where you will store your recordings for future use, allowing you the utmost control over security and user experience.

Reason #4: Connect with remote educators and guest lecturers

With an increasingly global workforce, finding local experts and educators can prove challenging. Through video conferencing, you can bring the remote educators and guest lecturers of your choice into your classrooms, helping you attract a wider pool of talent. 

Reason #5: Flipped classrooms

Online learning opens up avenues for new learning models. One of the most promising approaches to distance learning is the concept of flipped classrooms. 

Flipped learning allows students to first interact with the material through a pre-recorded online lecture and/or pre-assigned reading and then leaves classroom time for more in-depth interaction with the course material and personalized student-teacher interaction.

Highly flexible video conferencing platforms help to make this unique approach to learning possible with the highest levels of interaction.

Reason #6: Increased Revenue and Reduced Costs for Educational Institutions.

Lastly, video conferencing software can help to reduce facility costs while increasing access to courses for students. This allows more students to enroll in your courses without adding strain to existing building infrastructure. 

Not only that, but studies find that instructors spend less overall time on online courses in comparison to traditional courses (112 hours compared to 107 hours, respectively) which helps to further reduce the overall cost per student without sacrificing education quality.

Conclusion

Synchronous distance learning is the future of education and flexible video conferencing software makes it possible. By investing in a powerful video platform you can transform your classrooms and open up avenues of online learning for students that you never thought possible. 

Need to build a custom video conferencing solution for your educational institution? We've got you covered. Check out LiveSwitch -- the massively flexible, highly scalable video conferencing solution that can take your classes to the next level.