Clemson University Expands Education Across Campus with Flipped Instruction via Mediasite

MADISON, Wis. — January 13, 2014 — Clemson University faculty use Mediasite by Sonic Foundry, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFO), the trusted leader for video content management and webcasting solutions, to flip their classrooms and expand their reach.

The university recently deployed My Mediasite in the College of Health, Education and Human Development — which includes the School of Nursing, School of Education, Department of Public Health Sciences and Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management — making it easier for faculty to pre-record lectures from their desktops. Students watch recorded lectures prior to class, leaving class time to be dedicated to more dynamic discussions and interactions. Because the tool is backed by Mediasite Enterprise Video Platform, the content is searchable, secure and managed in one place.

Using Mediasite has allowed for the expansion of key courses to meet student needs. For example, the Department of Public Health Sciences has received about 600-700 student applications every fall and only 50-70 are accepted due to limits in the number of seats available in introductory courses. Using video to flip the courses helps accommodate more students by offering more consistency and flexibility in course-content delivery while creating more time for learner-focused education.

“Mediasite has helped expand our education across campus. I’ve seen a 25-50 percent increase in the number of courses I can offer with this new methodology. Student satisfaction remains high as video lecture capture with Mediasite promotes an engaged learning experience and is meeting the interests of a new generation of learner,” said Ralph Welsh, a lecturer in the Department of Public Health Sciences. “I’ve tried multiple forms of video capture and Mediasite has been my favorite. It’s easy to use, interactive and it integrates well with the course management system we already have in place.”

Since 2010, six faculty members from The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management have been flipping a required introductory course.

“I really enjoy flipping my class because discussions are richer, and it’s more engaging for students. I think there was a little bit of mixed reaction at first, but students enjoy the class a lot more because it’s more interactive,” said Robert Brookover, lecturer and coordinator of undergraduate programs and outreach in the department. “We have a studio set up in the college where we can record Mediasite presentations. The next goal is to use My Mediasite so that we can record lectures right at our desks versus going to another building.”

In addition to flipped instruction, faculty are using Mediasite to:

• Blend learning. Students spend a portion of the class online and another face-to-face. My Mediasite allows faculty to easily create video presentations for the online portion and embed it in Blackboard, the campus learning management system, for students to watch.
• Avoid missed lectures. When faculty know they will be out of office, they pre-record their lectures for students to watch outside of class, so they don’t miss out on any lectures and fall behind.
• Create professional portfolios. The college partners with the Student Affairs masters degree program, allowing students to record philosophy statements for their required e-Portfolios.

“Mediasite has tremendous potential. It’s revolutionizing how we can manage and distribute information to people on campus and at a distance. Mediasite video is enhancing communication within our college and reaching audiences never imagined,” said Bill Havice, professor and associate dean in the college.

Clemson University College of Health, Education and Human Development has used Mediasite since 2004 to capture study abroad student orientations, student digital portfolios and off-site student nursing training, as well as to preserve lectures for student review.

Learn more about Clemson’s Mediasite story at www.sonicfoundry.com/Clemson.

“Education is evolving — learning is more personalized and classroom time is more collaborative,” said Gary Weis, chief executive officer of Sonic Foundry. “Incorporating video into instructional techniques helps faculty connect with the 21st century learner and enhances student success. By introducing My Mediasite, the university is making the knowledge sharing process between professor and student even easier.”

Trusted by 1,200 colleges and universities, the patented Mediasite webcasting and video content management system quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, management, delivery and search of live and on-demand videos and rich media.