With the growing necessity of online learning options for institutions of higher education, video has emerged as a superlative educational tool. Recognizing that educational video can improve learning outcomes, Durham Tech set out to find a video creation and distribution tool that integrates seamlessly with their learning management system (LMS).
Durham Tech used 3 primary criteria when evaluating technology:
The perfect solution for Durham Tech needed to be simple enough that 800 instructors could capture and distribute content with minimal training. More pertinently, it needed to be purposebuilt for deployment in an online learning platform. The solutions surveyed by Durham Tech lacked these qualities—until they stumbled upon Warpwire.
After carefully evaluating potential solutions, Durham Tech selected Cadmium’s Warpwire product as their video delivery platform.
Durham Tech rolled out Warpwire to 800 instructors and 6,000 students in early 2020—immediately before the onset of COVID-19 in the United States. The software’s simplicity enabled LMS administrators to diversify their online learning portfolios with limited time to get to know the platform.
Cadmium technology thus eased the burden of digital transformation for Durham Tech, just as it did for thousands of other content-driven organizations during the early stages of the pandemic.
“The timing was perfect. With little to no training, faculty could easily record narrated presentations, short video messages for students, or screencasts. Our college offers a wide range of classes, from microbiology to HVAC repair. This is a tool that all of them can use.”
From the beginning, Warpwire’s developers set out to solve the needs and challenges of educational video. Educators face unique obstacles when incorporating video into online learning environments. Security and the ability to segment access are a must. Instructors should be able to set minimum viewing requirements for students to progress in a course. Most importantly, it needs to integrate seamlessly with their learning management system.
In Warpwire, Durham Tech found a video delivery solution that does all of the above. Over the years, Warpwire has integrated with leading learning management systems embraced by nonprofits, associations, and institutions of higher education—including Durham Tech’s LMS. Educators can simply click a button in the LMS, capture content, and share it with learners.
On account of its simplicity, educators at Durham Tech wasted no time learning how to use Warpwire. They jumped right to capturing content, and their students jumped right to viewing it.
Durham Tech recognizes that accessibility is indispensable in digital spaces as much as physical ones—a fact that has become all the more evident amid COVID-19 and the growing necessity for online learning.
When evaluating video delivery platforms, Durham Tech appreciated Cadmium’s commitment to meeting and exceeding digital accessibility requirements with Warpwire. Screen reader friendly design, keyboard shortcuts, support for editable closed captions in multiple languages, and more come together to meet the needs of every user.
Digital accessibility is more than just a box to check. Warpwire supports Durham Tech’s mission to educate the broadest possible audience not only by supporting learners with disabilities, but also with a solution that functions across browsers and devices. No matter the circumstances of Durham Tech’s LMS users, Warpwire simply works.
Warpwire is simple enough that anyone can use it. But Cadmium doesn’t take a hands-off approach. Before, during, and after launching Warpwire on their LMS, Durham Tech collaborated with Cadmium to maximize the value of the platform. Counting on the Warpwire team’s unmatched understanding of the value of video in an educational setting, they found in Cadmium not only a technology provider, but also a partner in their success.
“Our relationship with Cadmium seems more like a collaboration than a vendor/client dialog. That is rare. They demonstrate a keen interest in learning about and understanding the needs of their customers. As a result, they have learned a lot about their industry, and they continue to listen.”
A true SaaS product, Warpwire is never truly finished. Its features emerge from the real-life needs of their customers in the education, association, and nonprofit sectors. Durham Tech learned that they could collaborate with the Warpwire team to build an intuitive, reliable solution to the challenges of secure video delivery in the context of online learning.
“Warpwire met what we were looking for – ease of use, simplicity, LMS integration, and accessible design. Faculty of all levels need little or no help to use the tool and are able to create up-to-date, engaging content.”
– Kristin Lahurd, Deputy Director, Conference Content and Engagement
Durham Technical Community College serves more than 18,000 students annually across seven campuses in North Carolina while also providing hybrid and online distance education courses. The college is accredited and offers more than 100 associate degrees and certificates for students seeking university transfer or immediate employment. Durham Tech programs include the arts, engineering, education, health technologies, information technology, public safety, and business administration. Non-credit (continuing education) courses include career enhancement in automotive, culinary arts, hospitality, and biotechnology; English as a second language; and personal enrichment opportunities such as gardening, health and wellness, and photography. For more information, visit durhamtech.edu.