Adoption of new technologies in higher education must be approached with great care. While introducing a video management system to your education ecosystem  brings numerous benefits, you may be asking yourself, “How do I encourage faculty to use these tools to the fullest?” Faculty could be hesitant due to lack of time to learn a new technology or may already be juggling too many tools.

Faculty adoption may seem like a hurdle – but it doesn’t have to be. New technologies should make their jobs easier and create opportunities for faculty to strengthen  their existing teaching styles. 

Here are 5 steps to encouraging faculty buy-in when introducing a new VMS:

1. Demonstrate how a VMS can benefit their day-to-day priorities.
2. Share  peers success stories
3. Highlight new opportunities the technology brings.
4. Create a roll-out plan and consistently communicate it.
5. Gain trust through an early adoption program.

1. Demonstrate How a VMS can Benefit Day-to-Day Priorities

A modern Video Management System (VMS) is now essential to higher education’s technology ecosystem. The right platform doesn’t just store content—it enhances competitiveness, protects intellectual property, and drives measurable student and faculty success.

Benefits of a VMS in your educational technology ecosystem include:

• Competitive Edge & Security: Asynchronous video is becoming a cornerstone of flexible, future-ready learning. With Panopto, institutions can secure intellectual property through SSO and LMS authentication across devices.
• Improved Learning Outcomes: Engagement analytics give educators deep insight into viewing behavior, helping them refine instruction and improve student outcomes.
• Faculty Productivity: Panopto integrates seamlessly with LMS and VC tools, capturing sessions automatically and streamlining video workflows so faculty can focus on teaching.
• Equitable, Flexible Learning: On-demand, searchable video—with captions and Smart Search in 15 languages—gives every student access to learning on their own terms.

A VMS should serve as the hub of your learning ecosystem. With Panopto, institutions deliver secure, accessible, and engaging experiences that scale.

2. Share peer success stories

Faculty may be hesitant about adopting new technologies until they see proof from peers. Sharing case studies and testimonials from other institutions helps build confidence and highlights the real-world benefits of a modern learning ecosystem.

• University of Arizona embraced academic video at scale, producing more than 30,000 hours of lecture capture in one year. Students engaged deeply, logging nearly 270,000 hours of viewing, using recordings to study, catch up, and take control of their learning.
  
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) expanded accessible and flexible learning through HyFlex teaching with Panopto. Faculty seamlessly recorded and uploaded lectures into Canvas, students submitted assignments via Panopto, and the platform even supported onboarding and orientation programs—demonstrating value beyond the classroom.

3. Highlight new opportunities the technology brings.

When thoughtfully introduced, new technologies don’t just streamline faculty workflows—they expand what’s possible for institutions and their students. Panopto creates opportunities that directly support institutional goals:

• HyFlex Learning for Enrollment Growth: By offering students the flexibility to attend in-person, live online, or asynchronously, institutions can reach nontraditional learners, working professionals, and international students—making programs more competitive and inclusive.
• Flipped Classrooms for Stronger Outcomes: Pre-recorded lectures shift passive learning out of the classroom, allowing in-person time to be used for discussion, group work, and active learning strategies. This model has been shown to increase student engagement and comprehension, improving overall retention.
• Accessibility as a Driver of Equity: Panopto’s captions, variable speed playback, and screen reader support ensure all students—including those with disabilities, those balancing work and study, or those for whom English is a second language—can access content on equal footing. This strengthens compliance while improving student satisfaction.
• Analytics to Improve Teaching Quality: Video analytics give administrators and instructors data on how students engage with content—what’s being rewatched, where attention drops off, and how videos support assessment outcomes. These insights allow institutions to refine teaching strategies and make evidence-based improvements.

4. Create a roll-out plan and consistently communicate it.

Create an implementation plan to make sure faculty have access to training, timelines of the roll-out, and where to find support throughout the process. This plan might include detailed newsletters, adding the tool to training materials, and creating banners on your LMS and other educational ecosystem tools in the weeks before the change. This comprehensive campaign will ensure that everybody is well prepared and can modify their workflows as necessary.

Communication doesn’t end after launch, either. Provide support as faculty implement the new VMS and add the tool to their learning experience. Share updates to faculty on the success and value of your VMS and troubleshoot issues for those who may take a bit more time getting up to speed.

Panopto integrates directly with LMS platforms, reducing workflow friction and ensuring faculty adoption feels like an enhancement, not a burden.

5. Gain trust through an early adoption program.

Peer-to-peer learning can be helpful when implementing new technologies to help showcase benefits and use cases from trusted colleagues. The early adoption program can also bring up general questions and gather feedback to ensure the technology will be successfully integrated into the education ecosystem. 

Invite members of leadership, such as department heads, to begin utilizing the new technology, such as a VMS system. Academic technologists might find a couple enthusiastic faculty members to be VMS advocates who can serve as inspiration for what’s possible with the tool and hold regular sessions sharing how they are using it, the value they’re getting, and answer any questions. This can normalize use of the tool and help get faculty imagining what’s possible.  These early adopters will help serve as influencers of the new technologies and showcase the benefits of having a VMS within the classroom ecosystem.

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