As of late, internet learning has been given expanded consideration and finances. It is a strategy for conveying course information to understudies on a distant location, with the primary point of giving freedom to learning. Distance learning gives the most extreme adaptability where course material can be reached to understudies whenever and anyplace, whether it is at home, at work, or out and about. This considers self-coordinated learning. With the expanded use of multimedia courseware and the web as a wellspring of data today, it is seen that live streaming Singapore would be an ideal apparatus to convey a blended learning climate. This is throughout which it joins ordinary face-to-face homeroom techniques to PC-helped learning and distance learning.
The use of streaming has been under consistent examination as of late. To illustrate the utilization of computerized innovation for training, educators and understudies have moved their learning climate from homerooms to virtual settings. Relegated as a promising showing strategy, streaming – a method for conveying interactive media content, for example, sound or video to PCs by means of the web – has potential applications in internet-based learning. In particular, live streaming Singapore, which permits clients to see or hear the substance all the while as it is communicated, has been recognized as an instrument for improved learning as it takes out time imperatives for showing and learning. While helpful to have new media within teaching method, many have pondered about how viable streaming is and whether a distinction can be made to upgrade learning experience. This paper will examine the utilizations of streaming, live streaming, and its applications to training and how it can conceivably improve learning outcomes.
Overview of live streaming in education
Live streaming provides an effective solution to isolate learners from information overload that is common with self-paced recorded e-learning material. Learners can often become overwhelmed when they are left alone to choose how and when to learn new material. The choices of what e-learning material to study and when to study it can be daunting. The lack of choices in e-learning time and location constraints with live streaming eliminates cognitive overload on how and when to study specific e-learning material. Learners can simply follow a synchronous class schedule based on their available time to study.
The instructor’s presentation of content is immediate and allows for a direct impact on learners. For example, a medical instructor can demonstrate immediate live video of first aid procedures or interviews with patients about symptoms of diseases. The medical instructor can then solicit feedback from learners about the video. A language instructor can introduce immediate new language vocabulary and have learners practice correct pronunciation. This immediate exchange vastly improves learners’ retention of new information.
Live streaming provides an interactive online learning experience that is similar to traditional face-to-face learning. It allows for virtual communication exchange between learners and instructors. The instructor can give instructions and explain complex concepts, while learners can ask questions and demonstrate solutions to problems. With real-time audio and video communication, instructors and learners can feel as though they are in an actual classroom.
Live streaming is a form of communication where video and audio are transmitted and received in real-time over a computer network. It has been around for many years, but it has become a popular form of communication in recent years. The concept of live streaming has been applied to online learning. With the innovation of e-learning tools integrated with social networking concepts, live streaming has become a powerful and effective channel for online learners.
Benefits of live streaming in learning
Higher education institutions in Singapore continue to play a significant role in Singapore’s future and its global standing. With increasing global competitiveness and a mandate to meet and exceed the needs of the new knowledge economy, Singapore’s higher education institutions have to create and deliver more educational value. Live streaming provides institutions with capabilities to address the global trends in education and student market demand. Live streaming allows universities to reach more students, and reach students in more engaging and interactive ways. Live streaming has the potential to significantly enhance the quality and value of education and enrich the overall learning experience. Live streaming can further distinguish Singapore’s higher education qualifications and institutions internationally. With an enhanced and more engaging learning experience, students will have an even stronger educational experience and skills that meet the needs and expectations of the global economy. These students will become Singapore’s future and will have the capabilities to further raise Singapore’s standing in the global economy. Live streaming is a cost-effective method and efficient way to market and deliver education to specifically targeted student markets. Live streaming’s cost-effective nature will suit the needs of Singapore’s Ministry of Education’s intentions to stretch the education dollar and provide quality education in a more cost-effective way. An innovative and efficient way to reach targeted student markets centrally and abroad will also help Singapore achieve its intentions to become a global education hub.
Challenges in implementing live streaming in education
There are a number of benefits in using live streaming in education, but it still requires complex development to become a feasible tool for education. High costs are still an issue. Live streaming equipment can be quite expensive, and there are often additional costs in recruiting IT staff to set up the system. This has led to most current development of live streaming being made in higher education and by large institutions who have funding and resources.
There are encouraging signs that the rapid developments in technology may be successful in enabling live streaming to become an important tool in education. High-quality video recording devices are becoming more compact, affordable, and commonplace. In the near future, it may be common for every student to carry a recording device.
Live streaming in education is the use of live video to provide learners with an opportunity to participate in a learning event, as it happens. This can be in the form of an expert in a field explaining work to students, students conversing with each other on a certain topic, or a live debate on a certain subject. There are a few examples where live streaming has been implemented in education. The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) has been reported to have implemented live streaming of lectures as well as interactive sessions in a current project.
Innovations in Live Streaming Education in Singapore
Another innovative method that has surfaced is the use of live streaming to provide virtual field trips. An example of this is a project between the National Institute of Education and Singapore’s Underwater World. Researchers provided a live streaming link between a group of primary school students and a guide stationed in an underwater observatory off the Sentosa coast. This virtual field trip allowed students to observe marine life and the guide was able to describe and answer questions on the marine life shown. This project showed that live streaming can provide a cost-effective and safe alternative to traditional field trips and still provide a similar learning experience to students. It allows the opportunity for students to observe things that would be otherwise impossible to see in Singapore, such as arctic animals. Another project is with the Nanyang Girls’ High School which collaborated with the National Parks Board. This project involved live streaming of a guided tour through electronic and interactive whiteboards at the school. Students were able to learn about MacRitchie Reservoir and its primary forests, and the guide was able to answer students’ questions along the way.
Live streaming education programs can provide an engaging and interactive learning experience to students. In Singapore, several innovative methods to incorporate live streaming into education have surfaced. One of the most common ways that live streaming is used is to enhance the learning experience in traditional classrooms. Teachers can access live streams of current events and activities which can be shown to students in the classroom. This can help make the subject matter more realistic and engaging to students. For example, a science teacher can access a live stream showing marine life off the coast of the Philippines. This can provide a near real-time experience to the students. The teacher can hold an interaction with a scientist that is part of the live stream provided by the organization. Students may even have the ability to ask questions themselves. The possibilities are endless and can help open the minds of students to a new way of learning. This method is being tested with several public schools in Singapore. This is an important step as traditional classroom education still makes up the bulk of learning in Singapore.
Integration of live streaming in traditional classrooms
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has already stated its plan to integrate e-learning into school culture with the 3i (pronounced “Three-Eye”) plan. The 3 ‘i’s stand for ‘Anytime, anywhere access to learning resources’, ‘learning experiences that are more engaging, enriching, and enabling’, and ‘greater interactivity, through the use of technology’. Live streaming clearly supports the first ‘i’, and with further development, it can also support the other two. An example could be to improve the quality of live streaming content so that it features higher interactivity and engagement, much like a computer game or virtual reality simulation.
Traditional classrooms are still the main method of learning and content delivery in Singapore. Live streaming offers an alternative method of tutoring whereby students access lessons via the internet at a specified time. The ability to stop, pause, rewind, and review content makes live streaming an effective tool for learning. Live streaming is flexible because it can be done at home, and students can also access content via mobile devices.
Virtual field trips through live streaming
A number of public sector IT is for providing such services. GDLive from Grid Computing has hosted a number of virtual science fairs linking scientists and young researchers, Myths and Legends from Ultraquest offers real-time adventure and exploration in a virtual world. There are also many providers offering virtual tours of specific geographical locations for specific curriculum areas. A recent example is the live streaming of an excavation at Star Carr Stone Age archaeological site hosted by Virtual Wolds.
Live video streaming can be used to bring the role of the guide to life and offer a real-time experience to learners. A researcher based hundreds of miles from the nearest museum can guide students through the museum’s collection using a series of linked video shots, narrating and answering questions asked via chat or conferencing tool. A language teacher can take a group of students on a virtual visit to a country where they will meet and interview local people, gathering video material that can be used for a range of learning activities. The immediacy of a real-time visit precludes the need for framing activities with too much preparatory or follow-up work and helps to bring the culture of a foreign country directly to the learners. High quality live video streaming or video conferencing tools can also be used to link with learners in different countries allowing interactive visits between groups of students.
A virtual field trip is a collection of linked activities, led by a guide, that can begin and end with the learners still at their desktops. It is more than a simple visit to a website as it can involve a range of multimedia elements and can be used as an interactive aid to teaching and learning. They can take place in a range of different types of online environment from virtual museums and galleries, to simulations/role play and the exploration of authentic websites.
Interactive live streaming platforms
Being part of a larger outreach effort, this work can serve to enhance awareness and interest in public and private sectors about the importance of science education for our youth. Last but not least, we will also be exploring how to extend some of these experiences to the general public. With the extensive use of information and communication technology in modern society, people of all ages are becoming accustomed to acquiring information in digital formats. We hope that our programs can provide an engaging alternative to other online content and help to promote scientific literacy for individuals who have an interest in topics related to our modules.
The aim of this project is to allow students to think beyond artificial boundaries and connect with the outside world. Our goal is to give students a broad spectrum of experiences that help make their learning more relevant, meaningful, and memorable. This is not an attempt to replace actual field trips, but we recognize that getting out of the classroom is not often practical, so our virtual field trips can also provide valuable experiences and insights. Live streaming will become not only a communicative medium but also a foundation for learning and knowledge acquisition. In the future, it is hoped that senior researchers from partner organizations will also deliver online talks and Q&A sessions regarding their work to inspire students and cultivate future scientists.
Case Studies of Successful Live Streaming Initiatives in Singapore
Helping to educate elementary and high school students in rural areas where internet access is limited and unreliable, Knowledge Grids Singapore developed a live streaming system to help students and educators communicate on the Internet. Live streaming features are integrated with other asynchronous online features such as discussion boards, sharing of educational resources, messaging, and forums. Although this isn’t a traditional case of live streaming, it does provide a starting point for the system to be improved for better live streaming functionality. An evaluation done on the project showed increased motivation for learning and better communication. This helped to promote the idea of building a more cost-effective and feature-rich virtual classroom or conferencing system, to provide rural students with a quality education that is in line with today’s information technology. This project proposes a shift in the future of education for rural students, it changes the way content is delivered to the students’ homes and it also allows students to access educational resources on the Internet more frequently.
Previous to this, the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) has also utilized a similar form of lecture delivery, where it linked classrooms in different locations using video conferencing. This mode of delivery is more relevant to distance learning or remote learning and not specifically for live streaming. However, OnlineLive is a more cost-effective solution. This case study provides an evaluation on the effectiveness of live streaming as a tool to aid remote learning for its students, to suggest improvements and to appraise the relative success of the project.
The Informatics Academy is a private education institution, which recently implemented a live e-learning tool, branded as OnlineLive. It utilizes internet-based conferencing software, Microsoft NetMeeting, to deliver live lectures. It allows students to interact with lecturers as well as with their peers, pose questions and receive quick responses. The lecture session is also recorded and available for students to view within the next 7 days. This initiative is to aid students who are not able to attend the classes due to rescheduling, work commitments or transportation problems.
Live streaming for remote learning in rural areas
Many rural areas lack educational resources and opportunities for both students and teachers. New Zealand is a country that has invested in live streaming some of their educational content in an effort to provide greater equity of opportunity for students studying in rural schools. Teachers and students at remote schools are able to log on to the Te Kete Ipurangi (The Online Learning Centre) website and access live stream and pre-recorded video lessons in a variety of subjects. This initiative allows students studying in places where certain subjects are not available to access them online and study towards qualifications they would not otherwise have been able to. A similar project in Australia involves the New South Wales Department of Education and Training providing teachers with access to professional learning opportunities through live and recorded web conferencing. This has allowed a more efficient way for some teachers to improve their practice and further their professional development. These teachers are from rural and remote areas and find it difficult to access professional learning opportunities due to their location and distance from cities. By providing these opportunities online, it is hoped that it will lead to improved student outcomes as a result of more highly qualified and skilled teachers.
Live streaming for professional development in education
We will now discuss the live streaming of two lectures, which form the content of a module in Singapore at current teacher education institutions or for in-service teachers. This initiative is not a large-scale one when compared to the previous example, but is still significant as it utilizes an in-house resource developed by a Singapore teacher educator. The teacher, Mr. Victor Bay, was one of the recipients of the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship for his work related to education policy and practice. The live streaming is of the two lectures conducted by Dr. Pak Tee Ng on the topic of Teacher Professionalism. Both lectures were streamed live via the Virtual Private Network (VPN) set up by the ELL Department to a small group of officers and selected teachers, and it was also viewed by a larger group of teachers from Singapore and other countries. An online forum for the participants to discuss the lecture was also conducted after the viewing of the video. This was a significant initiative because it is the first time an attempt has been made to provide in-service teachers an opportunity to utilize an online resource for their professional development, with the added advantage of being able to discuss what they have learned with their peers and colleagues without incurring cost and time to travel to a venue. The resource is still available and has also been used as a micro-teaching resource for pre-service student teachers. This is a cost-saving initiative as the pre-service student teachers only need to access the resource in school and they will not miss learning from the regular school attachments in order to participate in this activity.
Live streaming for inclusive education
Live streaming, albeit not stated in the report, was a platform that could have been used by the IT HODs and coordinators as well as teachers to receive IT training without affecting the learning and school schedules of students. A live streaming seminar or talk can be done on Saturdays, and teachers can view the video in the comfort of their own home. Videos can also be stored for access at any time for those who may have missed the training due to valid reasons.
Phase 1 of the SPED IT Masterplan was a pilot project to identify suitable IT platforms to support curriculum processes for students with special needs. The project was a success and Phase 2 was initiated to develop curriculum-specific IT teaching and learning aids to assist teachers in providing effective pedagogical strategies to deliver the curriculum to the students. During this period, the SPED schools wave also saw an intensive level of teacher training.
There was an inclination in Singapore from 2003 to 2006 where there was a venture to integrate technology in the form of audio and video in order to create a teaching and learning resource for Special Education (SPED) schools. This 2-stage IT Masterplan for Education in SPED Schools was in line with the Ministry of Education’s Masterplan of IT, which aims to equip all teachers with the necessary ICT skills to engage students in ICT-enabled lessons to develop 21st Century Competencies. Special Education (SPED) schools are dedicated to students with mild or serious physical and behavioral handicaps. These students have a need for IT education in order to train them for a job.
Future Directions and Implications for Live Streaming in Education
There are several ethical considerations that are related to the application of live streaming in education. Firstly, the privacy of students and educators has to be protected. There should be no unauthorized recordings of lessons done by students where the recordings can be disseminated through file sharing. Measures will also have to be taken to stop grand-scale recording of live streams by third parties. Special care also has to be given to not compromise the standard of conventional lessons with the implementation of live streaming. Over-reliance can lead to a situation where educators neglect the classroom lesson for live streaming. This option will not be beneficial for all students as there will be limited internet access to some households.
The potential impact of live streaming can be gauged based on its possible applications in education. With virtual presence offered by live streaming, geographic barriers to learning can be eliminated. This is especially pertinent to the Singapore context where we are resource-lacking, hence education institutions are able to tap on international expertise without the hefty cost of flying the experts in. The provision of archived live streams also serves as a useful revision tool for students. They can simply access the same lesson several times in the lead up to the examinations. Live streaming also encourages the flipped classroom model where students view lectures at home and engage in classroom activities. This is made possible as often students lose attention during conventional lectures and have no means of replaying them. Live streaming also extends the reach of stakeholders in education. Parents can have a first-hand view of lessons and lectures without being physically present at the school.
Potential impact of live streaming on education
An interesting development for streamed education lessons is the potential interaction between the presenting teacher and the student viewers. Discovery of ON24 Archives, a webcast software provider for corporate companies, has produced data showing that over 90% of viewer questions submitted during live webcasts are answered. An interactive streaming environment in an education context could involve live polls or quizzes during a lesson with automatic feedback to students, or a system for students to ask questions either to the teacher or amongst themselves, with the expectation of a quick response. Such features could greatly enhance the learning experience of students during streamed lessons.
The process of implementing streaming technology in Singapore schools has already begun and is set to continue and expand in the near future with the continually improving speed and availability of the internet. The ability for students to view a live broadcast of a lesson from home is a valuable alternative to sitting the same lesson in a classroom. In the event that a student is incapable of attending a lesson live due to illness or some other commitment, streaming technology offers the potential for these students to keep up to date with lessons as well. Furthermore, the flexibility of the technology allows for students to replay parts of lessons that they missed or did not understand clearly; an option not available in current traditional lessons.
Ethical considerations of live streaming in learning
As with traditional learning environments, there is also potential for misconduct and irresponsible behaviour during a live stream session. This behaviour could take place in a public live lesson or a private lesson between student and instructor. In a recent study conducted by a provider of online education for grades K-12, it was found that 86% of teachers use some form of digital tool to complete learning activities. This is a 4% increase from the previous year, indicating a shift towards more digital-based learning activities. However, 80% of teachers reported a belief that the increase in digital learning activities has led to an increase in instances of plagiarism and cheating. This is a significant issue, as plagiarism and cheating are already considered to be high in online coursework compared to traditional face-to-face classes. Live streaming has the potential to exacerbate this problem due to the vast amount of online resources available to students during a live session. This includes the ability to quickly browse for answers to questions asked in the lesson, as well as collaboration with others to complete tasks with minimal supervision.
The educational and ethical aspect of live streaming is discussed by comparing a real-time online lesson with a traditional pre-recorded lecture. Research has shown that focusing on streaming a live lecture actually creates a better and more engaging online environment for learners. In a study, researchers observed that university students were more engaged in an online lesson that was delivered in real-time. This is due to the live presentation providing a sense of social presence and student-instructor engagement, which are essential elements in defining a virtual classroom. With pre-recorded lectures, students can watch it at their convenience which may result in them not watching the video until right before an assignment or exam is due. Live streaming therefore creates a greater sense of urgency of completing tasks.
Recommendations for implementing live streaming in education
Live streaming teaching also tends to involve more on-the-fly decision making than traditional teaching. For example, a lecturer might plan to show students a particular internet resource, only to find that the resource is no longer available. In this case, the lecturer would have to think of an alternative resource or activity which achieves similar learning objectives. Preparing for these kinds of scenarios and managing to carry them out effectively can be demanding for educators who are new to live streaming. For this reason, educators should consider taking up professional development courses in the area of live streaming education. Due to the exponential growth in online education, a number of courses and resources are available to educators wishing to develop their education technology skills.
The most important recommendation for educators looking to use live streaming as a teaching tool is that they familiarize themselves with the technology. This sounds like common sense, but educators who are used to teaching in a traditional classroom setting may be unaware of just how different teaching in a live streaming context can be. Live streaming teaching is typically more dynamic than traditional teaching, and often involves significant multitasking. In a traditional classroom setting, a lecturer might discuss a particular topic for an entire hour. However, in a live streaming context, a lecturer might only speak on a topic for 10-15 minutes before switching to online activities such as web browsing, student interaction, or use of other audio-visual resources.
The benefits offered by live streaming in education make it an exciting prospect for educators and education institutions. However, educators seeking to implement live streaming into their teaching will have to be mindful of both the significant differences between traditional and live streaming teaching, and the relative lack of best practice principles in this area. This paper offers a number of recommendations for educators looking to incorporate live streaming into their teaching.