One of the biggest advantages that the Internet has brought is the possibility of receiving information about all kinds of events in real time.
Nowadays, with the help of smartphones anyone can create a video and publish in the virtual world, sharing live news with the rest of the world.
The same goes for online classes, which can be watched in real time, even allowing interaction with the teacher.
A valuable resource for schools and online courses, understand how streaming live online classes can improve your distance learning course.
What are the advantages of live online classes
Online classes taught through video have already proven their effectiveness and preference for the vast majority of viewers.
Through recorded classes the student is able to see and hear the teacher, facilitating the dynamics and connection that occurs in a classroom.
– How to create videos for online courses
If this feature attracts and holds the viewer’s attention, it is not surprising that live streaming has been gaining an increasing number of fans.
Great advantage of distance learning, this allows the students to attend live online classes in the comfort of their home.
And the benefits do not stop there. Below are five advantages of broadcasting your classes.
Favors interaction
Live online classes allow interaction with students through chats and comments, which helps to make the class more dynamic, encourages debate and allows immediate answers to questions.
Using a simple messaging system, those watching can interact with the teacher and other viewers.
Promotes credibility
How a famous phrase used to say, “who knows, does it live”. A professional who transmits classes in real time gives confidence and credibility.
This is also the instructor’s chance to show mastery over the subject at hand, proving that he feels safe enough to talk to the audience as if he were really in their presence.
Increases sales
Watching an online course with the dynamics of a classroom without leaving home is an option that gains more and more fans. If your content is good, there is a great chance that your next online classes will have even more subscribers.
Live streaming is an efficient way to present your content to a large number of people at the same time, which serves as an excellent marketing and sales strategy.
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Can be watched later
Despite being a real-time broadcast, all the content is recorded so that it can be watched later, which is of great help for those who were unable to follow the live online classes or want to review it.
When the transmission is finished, the teacher can make the recorded material available for later viewing, with the bonus of buttons that allow pausing, fast forwarding and rewinding the video.
Easy to use
It may not seem like it, but as much as it involves technology, online transmission is not difficult to set up and use. All the teacher needs is a computer with internet and a connected camera.
All the viewer needs is a computer with Internet access and a browser like Google Chrome or Firefox.
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The step by step depends on the chosen tool, but, whatever it is, the process is quite simple. Two excellent options for broadcasting your live online classes are Vimeo Live and YouTube.
Vimeo Live
Vimeo Live has emerged as a new resource for the famous video upload and sharing site.
Widely used by audiovisual producers, Vimeo gained popularity for being simple to use, allowing even the most laymen to upload content on the platform.
The video sharing site has accumulated a collection considered to be of high quality, gathering award-winning works from around the world and conquering a huge user base, second only to YouTube.
What was missing was precisely a feature that enables the transmission of live videos, which was resolved with the launch of Vimeo Live.
In 2017, the company announced the acquisition of the Livestream tool and, with that, its new streaming platform.
With Vimeo Live, content producers can capture, edit, stream, host their events and archive videos after the broadcast is over.
Some of its main features and advantages are:
- Streaming HD 1080p videos complete with cloud transcoding;
- Live chat and email capture;
- Live statistics;
- Automatically archive and manage your videos in one place;
- Provide all professional privacy controls, review tools and customization options;
- Offer a unique place for all your video hosting and live streaming needs.
Ideal tool for anyone who creates online courses and wants to broadcast live online classes, Coursify.me users can embed videos hosted on Vimeo directly on their page on the platform.
YouTube Live
Second most accessed site in the world, loosing only to Google, YouTube currently has 1.9 billion users.
Content creators can publish videos and stream live on YouTube for free. Depending on the tools you want to use, however, you may encounter some restrictions on your channel that require a specific number of followers to be unblocked.
For example, to broadcast live directly from your cell phone, you need at least 1,000 subscribers on your channel. But, in most cases, the resources accessible to everyone are sufficient to conduct live online classes successfully.
One of the most significant benefits of YouTube Live is the ease of monetizing live streaming.
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When you use the platform for live streaming, viewers can support you through Super Chat, while promoting your profile.
Super Chat is a way for viewers to pay to highlight their comments on live streams from their favorite youtubers.
In other words, people will have the opportunity to “buy comments” on any Live.
In addition to Super Chat, streamers can also activate ads in the following ways:
- Ads before the broadcast starts.
- Ads in the middle of the broadcast.
- Display and overlay ads on the video being shown.
- Some channels have access to member associations, which allows users to pay a subscription fee to their channel.
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Live streaming on YouTube can also help you increase your online reach far beyond that on-demand videos.
Platforms like Facebook and YouTube tend to favor live videos over pre-recorded ones, meaning that your videos have a greater chance of ranking well in search.
3 tips to improve your live online classes
Creating video lessons is a process that requires little investment and can bring many advantages for both the teacher and the student.
With the help of some simple equipment, anyone can produce videos without leaving home, using, most of the time, resources they already have.
The great advantage of broadcasting live classes is that you don’t have to worry about taking multiple shots and editing the final material. In other words, you create content while saving time and money.
– Learn how to record videos at home
Although live streaming is not a difficult task, there are some precautions that must be taken to ensure a good result:
1 – Plan your streaming space
Live video is all about location. Give your viewers something interesting to see, be it a home studio with personal touches of decor or an attractive setting, such as a beautiful natural landscape.
Although you can transmit from anywhere, it is important to consider the configuration of your space and the message it gives to those who watch.
First impressions can be critical to retain new viewers. It is worth making some effort to design and create a pleasant environment.
2 – First impressions on the camera
When recording live online classes, you stop being just a teacher to become a host. While recording, you need to keep your energy high to keep viewers engaged.
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Also, plan well what you are going to wear, so that it represents your message. Are you teaching yoga? So it would make sense to wear gym clothes. Talking about math? The casual but well-ironed clothes you would use in a classroom are a good choice.
As well as the decoration of the scene, your appearance and behavior must correspond to the topic of conversation.
3 – Posture, eye contact and interaction
When you broadcast live, it is crucial to maintain eye contact with your audience in the same way that you would in a normal face-to-face conversation.
You also want to ensure that your facial expressions and posture convey authority, conviction and interest. If you smile while speaking, you convey enthusiasm and confidence to your online audience.
Encourage interaction. Most viewers of live streaming want to be part of the action. Therefore, you need to give them chances and ways to interact. Greater interaction means more retention time – your audience will stay longer if they feel they are able to contribute.
Platform for broadcasting live online classes
It is important to broadcast your live online classes on the right platform for you and your audience.
Give preference to the channel most used by your target audience. But don’t discard other platforms because of this, as you can alienate others who would like to see your content.
Evaluate the options available and follow the metrics to determine where you might be best positioned for live content.
– How to Choose the Right Video Hosting Platform
Suitable places to start include Insta Live, YouTube, Facebook Live and Vimeo Live. There are, of course, many others, but focusing on one or two options is the best thing to do.
ELearning platform (LMS), Coursify.me has all the necessary features for you to integrate and import content from video hosting platforms such as Vimeo and YouTube.
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Instructors can embed their hosted videos in any of these channels on their page on Coursify.me, leaving their lessons even better and more complete.
To learn more, visit our website and take advantage of all the platform’s features to create, host and sell quality online courses.