2tor and ProctorU Add Video with TokBox
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/20/10
Two companies that cater to the education market have added video conferencing services to their own programs. Both 2tor and ProctorU have integrated video into their offerings through the TokBox application programming interface. TokBox is a group videoconferencing application available in free and subscription versions. The company's API is a Web service that allows developers to add live videoconferencing and video messages to their Web sites.
2tor supplies software, personnel, and capital to colleges and universities to enable them to put their degree programs online. The TokBox video functionality is initially being added to the University of Southern California Master of Arts in Teaching program. 2tor has been running the program for USC since January 2009, when it was launched.
The integration also uses the Kaltura media player, an open source video system already in use at the university. Kaltura lets users create and manage videos.
ProctorU does online proctoring; however, the test-taker is usually in an academic setting. By incorporating TokBox into its service, the company will allow students to take exams from home, while being observed via Webcam.
"We have integrated this technology into our services as a way to meet the demands of learning from home," said Jarrod Morgan, ProctorU vice president. "Thanks to TokBox, we are able to deliver the full education experience remotely--from learning and test preparation all the way to the exam itself."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.