The value of distant education is now recognized by the educational organizations all over the globe.

There has been recently an explosion in technologies for education and training including Internet-based videoconferencing and course management systems. Online systems offer multiple features necessary to deliver courses or some other types of training via the Internet. Technologies providing possibility to deliver lectures and trainings online now open attractive perspectives both for lecturers and for students. Lecturers can teach once and nonetheless reach multiple audiences. Distance learners now receive the same quality education as students who learn traditionally. What solutions for the distance education are offered on the market today?

Equipment types available now

Technologies for education at a distance keep developing and participators of distant education process now can benefit multiple solutions. Videoconferencing systems – portable, desktop or room integrated – are offered, for example, by Polycom. They allow learners to participate in videoconferences and feature multiple video/audio inputs. Besides numerous disadvantages of this equipment (intermittent loss of quality in the signal, need to log into a videoconferencing site)   videoconferencing systems are not capable of recording lectures and uploading the recorded data.

Lecture recording systems: advantages

This type of equipment records computer presentations, lectures and training, both video and voice. Graphic package combined from the learning content is uploaded to a server where the distant learners can view it. The recorded content can be incorporated into a course management system (CMS). Lectures can be captured from regular classrooms etc., without the speaker having to go to a specifically designed studio. Students may learn online or to supplement classroom experiences.

Solution to choose

Lecture recording equipment available on market today has different requirements. It may function only with its own server or be run on any server. As well, it may require installing additional software. Lecture Recorder from Epiphan Systems is a compact and standalone device for video capture. It is not as cumbersome as Sonic Foundry Mediasite lecture recording equipment delivered with its proprietary Mediasite EX Server, and includes specific recorders and players. Lecture Recorder grabs signal from composite video and analog audio inputs so that you can capture video from analog cameras. It has an integrated frame grabber for capturing signals from VGA/DVI sources. If the network is slow you can count on its 32GB internal solid-state memory and be sure that your captured data will not be lost. Lecture Recorder is offered at a very competitive price not to be compared with, for example, Accordent Capture Station byACES Communications.

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