Video processing slowly? Here’s some help.
If the speed of video processing is a problem…
Video isn’t always necessary or even the best tool for the job. Lots of other technologies are just plain more accessible to everyone but especially to students on unreliable wifi. Read our blog post about low-bandwidth alternatives to video here.
If you are using Kaltura, here are some tips for keeping your video processing as fast and error-free as possible:
- Keep videos at 6-10 minutes long, no longer. Research indicates that shorter videos are more effective pedagogically, but they are also easier to upload and easier for students to stream. Instead of recording an hour-long lecture in one fell swoop, break it into smaller chunks for recording and upload.
- Adjust your Kaltura settings so that they are all on the lowest quality. For the kind of lecture videos most of us are making, high-def videos are just not useful or required. Save some network space and processing power by lower your settings.
If you don’t want to use Kaltura, or if you are using a device that doesn’t support Kaltura…
You can use your current iPad screen recorder to record using the tools you already have.
Stacey has an app on her iPad that she loves called Explain Everything. She has been using it for years. About $14 bucks for the EDU license: https://explaineverything.com/explain-edu/ And they have serious discounts or free pricing right now for educators.
There are plenty of other screenrecording apps and some, like Screencastify, are making themselves free or low cost for educators right now.
Once you have recorded a video, you can still upload it to Kaltura or Vanderbilt Box for hosting and sharing.
Any video tool you prefer or think is useful is compatible with Brightspace. The important thing is to upload files to a platform designed for file sharing, then link in Brightspace. Uploading video files directly to Brightspace is likely to cause accessibility issues for students.
If you need to upload screencasts from your computer, phone, or tablet but your current tool is taking too long…
You can use Box as an alternative to Kaltura or Zoom to upload and store your videos. Here’s our guide on how to do that.
Video upload and processing won’t be slow forever, but literally millions of people are jumping on Zoom and Kaltura this week, and it will take a bit for the networks to settle into the new level of traffic. But it will settle in. Lower bandwidth tools are often just as effective as video and easier for your students to access in many cases. Check out our blog post with ideas for low-bandwidth teaching tools.
If you decide to do voiceover whiteboard presentations on Zoom, here is a video from Vanderbilt faculty member Jesse Blocher showing how he did it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31a8EzfaCmw&t=115s
If you have other questions about alternatives to video, please reach out to Brightspace support at the CFT
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