Earlier this month the New Media Consortium launched the latest version of the Horizon Report, which examines the effect of emerging technologies on teaching and learning in higher education. One of the key trends highlighted in the report is the idea of technology enabling students to create, not just consume, content.

This increasing focus on students using video to create materials either for assessment or study purposes is definitely a growing trend we’ve noticed amongst our users too. Many universities and colleges who started out using Panopto just for lecture capture or classroom recording are now looking to broaden their use of video and get their students involved.

At a recent event in the UK, Al Holloway from the University of Northampton offered insights into how the school is helping their students become video content creators. For instance, at the School of Health, students training to become paramedics are now using Panopto’s iPad app to record practice sessions so their professors can more easily assess their skills and help them improve. Video, especially when coupled with mobile recording devices, lends itself perfectly to this type of scenario, where the ability to perform a task in the field (even when simulated) is critical.

In the US, it’s a similar story at Eastern Michigan University where students on their Orthotics and Prosthetics program are required to submit at least two video recordings each term. As well as allowing staff to evaluate their skills, these recordings are also intended to remain on their digital portfolio after they graduate as evidence of their proficiency in key areas.

With successive generations of students coming into the higher education system who have grown up happily recording video clips on their smartphones, it’s inevitable that video will become a more important part of their educational experience, just as it is currently an important part of their recreational and social lives.

The challenge will be for universities to make the transition from simply curating video content, be that recorded lectures, flipped classroom material or blended learning modules, to true video collaboration, where students and academics are able to use video as a key communications, engagement and learning resource.

Want to find out more about how Panopto enables universities to deliver a more engaging blended learning experience? Contact our team for more information.