CAN YOU DIG IT? A new research initiative is underway to understand how video impacts student engagement in online classes. Video-chat platform Shindig announced yesterday a “$50K Challenge,” in which it will partner with 25-50 faculty members and/or course designers at higher-ed institutions to let them test-drive the technology in their classrooms during the 2016 academic year.
Shindig will award grants from $1,000 to $2,500 to faculty who use the platform and report data about how it impacts the online course experience. Shindig markets itself as two-way medium: instructors can present to an online audience of up to 1,500 and participants can ask “face-to-face” questions and have side conversations with other students. Early adopters include TED, Harvard, Yale and General Assembly. For more information, or to apply, visit the $50K Challenge website.
