LMS | News
Kaltura Expands LMS Support
Kaltura, the developer of the open source rich media platform of the same name, is getting deeper integration with two major learning management systems: Desire2Learn Learning Environment and Blackboard Learn.
Kaltura is an open source platform that lets developers create, edit, and publish video and rich media online. It includes application development resources, content management and analysis features, syndication and sharing tools, annotation and remixing capabilities, and functionality that allows end users and developers to embed media within their own sites. Video can be captured from a webcam, transferred directly from a camcorder, or bulk uploaded from a user's media library. The platform also provides encoding tools, with support for HD resolutions.
Kaltura has been available for the Blackboard platform since 2010 in the form of a Blackboard Building Block, allowing users to post videos directly to their courses, view recorded videos (such as captured lectures), add metadata to videos, edit media, and view playlists. It supports Learn 8, 9, and 9.1. Now, through an agreement announced Thursday, Blackboard will be distributing the Kaltura system through Blackboard Learn, allowing users to "activate and try out the Kaltura Video Blackboard Building Block to experience Kaltura's full range of advanced video and rich-media capabilities for both desktop and mobile devices, without leaving their existing Blackboard environment," according to information released by the company today. The integration includes full Kaltura capabilities within Blackboard Learn and administrator access to the Kaltura Management Console tool.
"We are seeing a surge in demand for rich media functionality in the education space, for teacher and student generated content as well as for lecture capture and other sources of campus media," said Matthew Small, chief business officer at Blackboard, in a prepared statement. "By partnering with Kaltura, we are ensuring that our clients have access to a comprehensive rich media toolset at the click of a button."
Desire2Learn, meanwhile, also announced integration with Kaltura in its Learning Suite. The integration allows users to play Kaltura rich media directly within the Learning Environment. Initial capabilities include streaming basic and rich media, adding and editing metadata, collaborative features (like commenting and annotating), searching, recording and importing of media, downloading media, and reporting on the use of media.
According to Desire2Learn, "Focusing initially on streaming and media management services, the addition of Kaltura's video capabilities to the Desire2Learn Learning Suite provides instructors with a consistent high performance end-user experience. Video can be incorporated into courses. Students can be engaged with high quality video, inside and outside the classroom. New and existing courses, lectures, presentations, announcements and other information can easily be published all within their Desire2Learn learning management platform."
Kaltura is in use by more than 120,000 organizations, ranging form education institutions to media and entertainment companies, according to Kaltura. Additional information can be found on the company's site.
