How can Panopto’s software help facilitate flipped learning?
Panopto makes it easy for academics to record full lectures, micro-lectures, instructional videos or tutorials with just a few clicks from any laptop – whether the recordings need to be made in a lecture theatre, an office, at home or in the field. Panopto can capture audio, video, a slide deck, screen capture, visualisers and more, meaning that lecturers can create rich and compelling recordings for their students.
The recorded elements are automatically synchronised, made searchable and transcoded for playback on almost any device, meaning that academics with very limited technical knowledge can get up and running quickly. The solution is also very intuitive, so lecturers can focus on recording and sharing their content, rather than having to hone their videography skills. This ease-of-use is particularly important in the flipped learning model, as it offers academics the flexibility to record whatever content they need to support the flip, whenever is most convenient to them. Students also enjoy this flexibility, as they can view the videos on almost any device and review the pre-lecture materials at a time that suits them.
How easy is the product to install? How long might it typically take to set up?
The product is incredibly easy to install and open for an end-user and once they’ve downloaded the Panopto recorder, academics can start recording using their laptop, iPhone or iPad or, if they choose, a more sophisticated AV set up. Integration with the university’s VLE means that academics have even less to think about – their flipped classroom content, just like any recorded lectures, will sit in the right part of the VLE structure and be accessible just by the students with access to that folder.
Can it integrate with existing software in any way?
Panopto integrates with leading university virtual learning environment providers such as Blackboard, Moodle and Canvas as well as with a number of other systems. This is critical, as it means that students are able to access flipped learning materials via the familiar VLE setting.
Do you think educators have any misconceptions about how easy it actually is to start using flipped learning technology?
When any new pedagogical approach emerges, there will inevitably be misconceptions about how easy or hard the approach will be to implement. However, with a robust video content management system in place, many of the technical elements that may make lecturers think twice about flipping the classroom are taken care of ‘behind the scenes’.
With a solution like Panopto, academics don’t have to worry about synchronising slides with their audio track or think about how they’re going to make sure students can access the content if they’re using a mobile device – it’s taken care of for them.
What three pieces of advice would you give to an educator who is apprehensive about installing flipped learning software tools for the first time?
There are actually five key considerations we think educators need to thinkabout when choosing a software tool to flip the classroom:
âž¡ï€ ï€ How are they going to make videos easily available in a consistent and secure way?
âž¡ï€ ï€ How will they ensure they can record in any location, with or without connectivity?
âž¡ï€ ï€ How are they planning to record content that has additional levels of complexity (for instance, classes where using a visualiser or showing multiple camera angles is important)?
âž¡ï€ ï€ How will they make sure students can watch videos anytime, anywhere, on any device?
âž¡ï€ ï€ How are they planning to make the content within the videos accessible for students who want to revise topics and consolidate their knowledge?
A dedicated video platform will address all of these issues, offering academics everything they need to ensure that their flip is successful.