With online education rising and expected to have a 9% compound annual growth rate by 2026, the demand for live-streaming platforms is super high. Teachers, edu bloggers, and online course creators need reliable, high-quality platforms to give their best lessons.
Here comes the challenge:
Live-streaming platforms are many, and the competition between them is life or death. Regular updates, advanced features, and different perks to hook customers make the choice difficult for an unsophisticated user. How can you choose a proper live-streaming platform and guarantee it will meet all your needs? What features and other nuances should you consider?
First, the basics:
What is a live-streaming platform?
A live streaming platform is an app, software, or website you use to broadcast live videos to your audience. Your audience watches and engages with you in real-time, making the most of a platform's supporting features such as on-demand video libraries, the ability to upload your pre-recorded educational videos, etc.
Why are live-streaming lessons so popular among users and worthy of your attention? Professional educators from the assignment writing service explain:
The first step before comparing and choosing live-streaming platforms for online learning is to identify your teaching goals.
Start with determining your audience: Will it be a small group of people or large classes of students?
How do you plan to interact with your audience? Will you use Q&A, polls, or rooms for discussions? A clear understanding of the functionality you need to deliver lessons will allow you to choose the right platform.
What educational content will you use to present information to your audience? Will you share videos or presentations? Will you use screen sharing or a digital whiteboard?
When choosing a live-streaming platform, you'll check all these specifics to ensure its features meet your needs.
And now, to practice:
A live streaming platform you choose for online learning will impact your audience's digital classroom experience. So, secure your choice by looking at these specifics:
A responsible educator, you want to protect your students' privacy, don't you? Look for a live-streaming platform with solid security and privacy features:
● Private hosting
● Domain restrictions
● End-to-end encryption
● Password protection
● Secure video uploads
If you aren't an individual educator but work at an academic institution, consider platforms that comply with data protection regulations (GDPR, FERPA, etc.). It will allow you to retain control over the educational content you produce in live online classes.
How do you plan to organize lessons and communicate your teaching style to the audience? Consider platforms that will enhance your teaching experience and allow you to reach students and deliver all the information anytime.
Does a platform offer on-screen participant chats, pre-recorded streaming, or webinar hosting facilities? Does it allow you to use whiteboards, material handouts, raised hand options, keynote presentations, and offline access to materials?
The platform should be user-friendly for educators and learners, with minimal technical requirements and an intuitive interface. It's essential to create an interactive and accessible learning environment for your students, so please look for platforms that work well across devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones) and require minimal downloads or setup.
Look for platforms that offer:
● Interactive tools: Chat, quizzes, hand-raising, and feedback options to keep students engaged.
● Content sharing: Easy integration of PowerPoint slides, PDFs, and videos.
● Recording options: Ability to record sessions for later viewing.
● Breakout rooms: For group work or discussions in larger classes.
● Analytics: Track attendance, participation, and performance metrics to improve learning outcomes.
More than that, check a live-streaming platform's compatibility and integrations. Does it connect with your existing LMS (learning management system) and social media? Does it integrate with tools like Google Drive or Dropbox?
Consider every detail for a more complete learning experience.
A live-streaming platform should deliver consistent, high-quality video and audio even with a large audience or during long sessions. So, test its video player before making the final choice.
Also, remember about your students who might have slower internet connections:
Consider an online video lesson platform with bandwidth optimization features.
Do you plan to customize your video player or video content management system for online lessons? Then, consider live-streaming platforms with API access:
API stands for Application Programming Interface, a tool that allows you (a broadcaster) to integrate external apps and programs into online learning platforms like Canvas, Blackboard, and more. API access is now critical for teachers promoting in-person learning and willing to keep things simple for their students.
Affordability matters, especially if you're looking for a platform you'll use for a long time. Premium doesn't equal quality: Before subscribing to the expensive plan, consider the free trial periods most tools offer to ensure their features meet your teaching requirements and budget.
Do you plan to teach small classes or practice non-formal education? Start with free platforms like Google Meet or Zoom's free tier to see how it goes. When switching to premium platforms with advanced features ( WebinarJam, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Pro, etc.), consider their pricing structure (per-user vs. flat rate) and weigh all the pros and cons.
Are you an independent educator or online course creator planning to generate revenue from your lessons? Then, dive into how you can monetize your product with each live-streaming platform:
● Will it be a subscription?
● Will you sell the whole course as it is?
● Do you want it to be via sponsorships?
● Are you going to use a pay-per-view model?
Check out how they split the revenue with you—it could affect your final choice of a platform for live streaming.
Live-streaming platforms are multifunctional and have many technical nuances that might be challenging for a novice user to understand at once. That is why it is critical to have a reliable customer support team and know you can contact them whenever you need.
Check out the platform's reliability. Ensure it has responsive customer support with alternative contact channels: email, live chat, phone assistance, you name it. Also, check a live-streaming platform's website.
Do they offer helpful resources for their customers? Can you find detailed how-to's or video tutorials that would guide you in the early days of using their platform?
Don't hurry up with your final choice and subscription. Why not test a live-streaming platform in a real-world scenario and see how it works?
Request free trials or demo sessions and assess the platform's fit for your teaching style and technical needs.
With the online education niche rising and expected to grow, academic institutions and independent course creators turn to live-streaming platforms for online learning to organize the process. Whether you teach a small class or host webinars for business, choose a professional and reliable platform to enhance your online learning sessions and deliver engaging and practical sessions to the audience.
