Mediasite Undergoes Service Improvement Project
The Ohio State University has been using Mediasite as its enterprise video hosting platform since 2014. As with all our teaching and learning tools, we routinely evaluate them and explore what else is available in the market, to ensure we have the best fit for Ohio State’s needs. The Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) led a request for proposals in 2022 to explore other media platforms, but ultimately awarded the RFP to Mediasite as it was still our best and most cost-effective option. However, based on feedback from the evaluation committee as well as tool user surveys, it was clear Mediasite had room for improvement.
In response to feedback, the Learning Systems team in OTDI launched a service improvement plan to strategically enhance the tool. The team had already been updating the LTI to the latest version, which allows Mediasite to integrate with CarmenCanvas and provide a better user experience. Learning Systems also improved storage capabilities in Mediasite and switched to a more accurate automated captioning service. Automated captions are now enabled by default for all recordings, but they must be reviewed and edited to be considered accessible.
The Learning Systems team kept the improvements rolling over Summer 2024 and prioritized the top features requested by survey participants and the evaluation committee. One such feature was the ability to transfer grades from Mediasite Quizzes directly to the Gradebook in Canvas. Mediasite Quizzes are a great way to keep your students engaged with your video content, and now awarding points for those quizzes is more seamless. Browser-Based Recording, another highly-desired feature was piloted in the summer and released for Autumn 2024. This new feature lets users record audio, video and screen content conveniently from a web browser, with no need for hardware or special software.
Ahead of Spring 2025, the Learning Systems team updated Mediasite to its latest version, which greatly improved the experience from within Canvas. Instructors can now upload and embed videos directly in their courses rather than having to navigate to MyMediasite—and this includes taking advantage of the browser-based recording feature. This update also added Mediasite Assignment, which allows students to record and upload videos to any assignment with a File Upload submission type. Students can create and upload work right from their browser, and the submissions show up in SpeedGrader for instructors to review.
It's been a busy year of improvements for Mediasite, thanks to the evaluation committee and survey respondents who helped OTDI prioritize enhancements that would make the biggest impact on teaching and learning at Ohio State.
Looking ahead to summer and autumn 2025, OTDI will continue to optimize the tool. Future plans include clearing out old and unviewed videos, encouraging use of the Mediasite LTI within Canvas for a better student experience, and surveying users again for their incredibly helpful feedback.