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NC State University

An instructor gives a lecture

The Challenge

NC State University is a public land-grant research university founded on the principle of providing an accessible learning environment for students and faculty. With innovation and access at the core of NC State’s values, technology plays a vital role in the classroom experience. 

Student and faculty feedback over the years shed light on a need within the university: increased class recording capabilities. Existing lecture capture technology was primarily geared toward remote students, but the Digital Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA) team at NC State were increasingly being asked to provide resources to encourage recordings in even more classrooms. The DELTA team aimed to create an integrated learning ecosystem that could increase NC State’s lecture capture capabilities.  

The Solution

NC State chose Panopto and the Epiphan Pearl Mini video production system to provide a hassle-free lecture recording experience for professors. Each classroom designed for lecture capture included a camera source, a computer source, and audio from a ceiling-mounted microphone. 

“It’s important to  create highly advanced learning environments so that our faculty members have the ability to provide engaging instruction and our students can access content quickly,” says Leisa Bolles, Director of Media Production Services (DELTA) at NC State University. “Based on the feedback we received from students they definitely wanted courses recorded.”

Thanks to the seamless Panopto and Epiphan integration, professors no longer needed to worry about activating the Pearl Mini in their lecture halls, as faculty who were already familiar with Panopto could simply press record as they always had. For those not yet accustomed to Panopto, the DELTA team developed an automated control function that allowed professors to start teaching immediately upon entering the lecture hall, with the recording starting automatically and the file uploaded to the university’s LMS shortly after the lecture ended.

““The idea behind classroom capture is not for it to replace coming to class, not to replace attending your courses, but instead to be another tool on your tool belt of learning technologies.””

Leisa Bolles, Director of Media Production Services (DELTA), NC State University
Why should Panopto be chosen over Yuja as your VMS for video?

The Impact

NC State University’s lecture capture capacity quadrupled with the integration of learning technologies. Over 40,000 students use the integrated learning ecosystem, and results were apparent less than a year after adoption. 

The Panopto and Epiphan integration has proven to be an asset to students, enhancing the learning experience for those who attend in person and serving as a safety net for those who are unable to attend physically. It also serves as an important connection point for online students, bridging the gap between virtual and in-person learning environments. Additionally, learning technologies create an environment that is more accessible for students with disabilities, promoting inclusivity and equity in the classroom.

The annual survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report assessing 1,600 online degree programs ranked seven of NC State’s online programs in the top 10 of their respective fields. While student achievement plays a critical role in each program’s ranking, U.S. News also factors in the quality of services and technologies offered. As a result, the effectiveness and dependability of lecture capture have emerged as a key distinguishing factor for online programs.

We’d like to thank our partners at Epiphan for providing the data for this case study.