CourseCast 2.1 Adds Live Broadcasting, Analytics

Panopto has released CourseCast 2.1, an update to the company's classroom capture system that's available free to academic users.

CourseCast is a lecture capture system designed for recording, editing, and streaming audio and video from classroom lectures and other presentations over the Web. Captured materials can be searched, linked, and annotated through the software, and recorded materials can be embedded in popular course management systems. The software is a spinoff from a project at Carnegie Mellon University, where it was initially developed and first deployed.

CourseCast is available at no charge to educators in K-12 and post-secondary institutions through Panopto's Socrates Project, which asks that users participate in testing programs aimed at further enhancing the software.

The new 2.1 release includes a new broadcasting plugin for streaming live presentations from the desktop. It also adds a new analytics system. Other new features include:

  • A simplified user interface;
  • Adjustable frame rates for screen recording;
  • Support for displaying PDFs within the CourseCast player;
  • Public and private notes capabilities;
  • Support for ActiveDirectory groups;
  • MPEG4 video podcasting capabilities;
  • Remote management of recording configurations; and
  • Enhanced ActiveDirectory support.

The new version is available now. Information on CourseCast and the Socrates Project can be accessed via Panopto's home page here.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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