CiNetVideo: Video sharing application for educational use

Video technologies are well suited for increasing flexibility of participation in education. On the other hand, use of videos limits the interactiveness of teaching. Studying with the help of videos can be made more effective and meaningful by making distance students´ telepresence visible in face-to-face teaching situations and by enabling interactivity in the context of video viewing. Thus, support can be provided for both study and students´ formation of groups. The best means for carrying out these activities is the video sharing application developed precisely for this purpose. The application must support both the viewing of on-demand videos as well as participation in face-to-face education with the help of real time videos. For the lecturer, the application must also offer a straightforward interface that is suitable for a classroom. This study describes the implementation of the first phase in the development of a video sharing application (CiNetVideo) built for these purposes and the practices related to it. In addition, experiences gained from the video application used in pilot teaching are examined.