Elearning on a shoestring

Once again, I'm teaching an online statistics class this Fall. While the online materials that come with the text are really superior, I still needed a platform for my virtual lectures every week. I have used VYEW in the past, but that has a maximum capacity of 20 students for the free version.

I an now using Wiziq, which allows many more students, even for the free version. The interface is much improved compared to what it was in the past. Since many of my students wanted the recordings of the lecture, I upgraded to their premium version (just $50/ year) to get the ability to store the recordings. And students don't have to register to view the lecture.

I have also used Jing in the past, but upgraded that one too (for a whopping $15/ year). Now, I can publish my videos directly to YouTube, which is a big plus for me.

Colleges without a large budget for online learning and/or just a few online courses can use tools like WizIq or VYEW as opposed to enterprise level software such as Elluminate or WebEx.