Higher education today is not what it used to be. Once upon a time, taking copious notes as the professor droned on and memorizing textbook passages were synonymous with the college learning experience. However, over the past two decades, online education and multimedia content have supplanted outdated methods, becoming mainstays of the educational landscape.
Thanks to the surge of digital resources and online learning, there has been a definite sea change in higher education, resulting in new and enhanced learning models. The Verbit Team attended the Panopto User Conference to demonstrate how both solutions work hand in hand to enable these superior learning environments and increase student engagement through interactive and personalized elements.
What is Blended Learning?
As part of this new paradigm, blended learning, the practice of using both online and in-person learning experiences, has become a commonplace feature of many institutions. This model involves the following:
- Combining instructional modalities (i.e. visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile)
- Combining instructional methods
- Combining face-to-face and online instruction
For successful blended learning, the in-person and online elements must function in tandem to create deeper educational experiences, while giving the student some control over their individualized paths and the pace at which they want to learn. An emphasis on self-driven and interactive learning places technology at the center of this learning model.
Evolving Blended Learning Technology
In recent years, the educational technology landscape has expanded to include learning management systems, video hosting platforms, in-class response systems, platforms, tablets, smartphones, analytics tools and more. However, the most common features of blended learning are audio and video materials.
Transcription and Captioning for Accessibility
While blended learning has led to proven results in student success, it is not without its challenges, with accessibility often being cited as a key hurdle that institutions must overcome. To address these challenges, all audio elements must be accompanied by transcripts and all video must include synchronized captions. These are key considerations for course design that benefit all students, including those with auditory disabilities, students who prefer to learn by reading and those who are not native speakers of the language of instruction.
Verbit’s AI-enabled academic transcription and captioning solution is tailored to the education industry, leveraging customized speech-to-text technology that is trained with course-specific content for higher accuracy and quicker speed. Seamless integration with the Panopto video hosting and streaming platform means that all content, regardless of form, becomes instantly accessible for all students. The advanced platform levels the academic playing field so that all students have an equal shot at success.
Blended education continues its rise as a fast-growing and highly effective program to enhance student engagement and boost grades. Technology tools that work together, including video streaming platforms and AI-enabled transcription and captioning services, possess the potential to unlock new levels of academic success for all students.