Campus is Closed: Enabling Remote Learning At The Speed Of Light

Video Teaching Platform Allows Superior Communication with Students

In 2020, Mejiro University was being forced to make an urgent transition to distance learning due to the law imposed by the Japanese government. When lecturers switched to remote teaching, they found it difficult to deliver all content online, which lead to a desire to proactively deploy on-demand video. However, video lessons make it difficult to take attendance, that is, determine who has in fact watched the video, and this issue was seen as particularly problematic.

This led the university to consider off-the-shelf video lesson packages for educational use. After some investigation, the university selected Panopto as its core information and communication technology (ICT) platform, which formed the basis of its video lessons.

The Challenge

Without Viewing Statistics, Lecturers Could Not be Sure that Content was Getting to Students

Mejiro University hurriedly implemented remote learning in response to the COVID 19 pandemic in around March 2020. At the time, the university was facing a variety of challenges:

  • Instructional video and streaming needed to be integrated with the learning management system
  • Video analytics was needed to take class attendance
  • Instructional video viewing and security controls were needed
Panopto intelligent video analytics

The Solution

Mejiro University selected Panopto as their video teaching and learning platform.

Panopto blocks access from unauthorized users because the system verifies the University’s domain whenever playing content. It also enables users, irrespective of device, to change playback speed at will, students are able to slow down or repeat videos in accordance with their level of understanding. Lecturers like the fact that they are able to speak at a constant rate now that their students are able to select their own playback speed, instead of varying their pace of speech for students who take longer to understand concepts or take notes, as they did in face-to-face lessons.

“Thinking in terms of the post-Covid—or ‘with Covid’—age, I believe it is appropriate to continue using a given level of distance learning alongside regular classes. While it is of course important to offer real-time interactive lessons that offer more spontaneity, I am concerned about students’ levels of access to study environments in cases where there is a mixture of distance and face-to-face classes. When you ask students, many of them say that on-demand videos are better than real-time interactive lessons for allowing them to study at their own pace.”

Konno Hiroyuki, Vice President, Mejiro University
Search spoken words and text on screen in Zoom recordings with Panopto

Rolling Out Panopto as Alternative to Face-to-Face Lessons

Distance learning with Panopto appears to be efficient and comprehensive.

Easy-to-use, and offering readily monitorable viewing statistics and comprehensive security features, Panopto satisfied Mejiro University’s initial requests for a distance learning tool. With students enjoying the benefits of being able to study on their own terms, the university’s remote classes promise to be an effective solution.

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