My Mediasite Pilot Launched!(Archive)

DELTA’s My Mediasite desktop recorder and media management pilot is now underway. The pilot, which will run through the spring 2014 semester, is intended to test the application and associated systems in preparation for a campus-wide enterprise service launch in summer 2014.

Desktop recording at NC State

My Mediasite allows instructors to record video, audio and computer screens for Mediasite presentations, and to record those presentations from any computer–whether at work, at home, or on the other side of the world.

Leisa Bolles, director of DELTA’s Media Production Services, sees the desktop recorder as an important step in the evolution of production services provided by DELTA.

“We have a suite of learning technology tools and services for our faculty, and lecture capture is one of them,” Bolles said. “We already record thousands of hours of course content every semester in our Mediasite-equipped classrooms and mini-studios. Adding a desktop recorder to our palette of options expands our services beyond the physical constraints of the campus, and puts another option for reaching students into the hands of our faculty. It’s an exciting development.”

Laura Stephenson, associate director of Academic Technologies, agrees, citing the January snow days as a prime example of how instructors could use My Mediasite.

“Imagine a snowbound professor at home, recording a lecture on their computer, uploading it and, within minutes, equally snowbound students viewing it,” Stephenson said. “That’s a perfect example of how our desktop recorder could be used.”

But both Bolles and Stephenson explain that unforeseen circumstances such as snow days are only one of many instances where instructors would find value in the application.

“Sure, there will be other snow days in the future,” Bolles said. “But there are a myriad of uses for recorded educational media. This simply provides another method of creating it. As far as how it’s used by our faculty, the sky’s the limit.”

“We’ve already seen creative uses of online media by NC State faculty,” Stephenson added. “Some instructors have used our lecture recording services to create ‘flipped’ courses. Students watch online lectures before class sessions, so the time in the classroom is spent on problem solving.”

My Mediasite pilot

DELTA made preparations for the pilot in fall 2013, and compiled a list of faculty and staff interested in kicking the tires of this exciting new application. Instructors on the early bird list were notified last week and provided instructions for opting in to the service, as well as links to training materials and the My Mediasite Moodle Community page, a central resource for information.

But the pilot still has room for more instructors, Stephenson says.

“We want to hear from anyone who would like to help us test this application,” Stephenson added. “We need to run it through its paces so we know it’s ready for prime time in the summer.”

While DELTA’s Media Production Services provides a substantial portion of My Mediasite support, bringing the service to NC State instructors is a DELTA-wide effort.

“It’s a team effort in every sense of the word,” Bolles said. “Our Learntech colleagues provide training and help desk support; our IT people take care of everything with the servers, databases and programming in the back of the shop; our instructional designers give us vital input and guidance on multiple points; our New Media team provides graphics and branding expertise; and everyone works directly with faculty in one way or another. Like all of DELTA’s services, it’s a combined effort across the board, in which everyone involved makes significant contributions. We love it!”

Sign up now!

Interested in participating in the My Mediasite pilot? Sign up now! Please note that participation is limited to 100 faculty and staff on a first-come, first-served basis.

For questions about desktop recording and media management with My Mediasite, contact mediasite-help@ncsu.edu.