The University delivers online professional development via webcasts available to teachers in 250 K-12 schools across the country, saving thousands of dollars annually on travel costs for facilitators.


"Since we began using Mediasite, our professional-development costs have decreased significantly. Before, we were traveling every week to schools across the regions, but now we're able to produce Mediasite presentations from a studio or Faculty of Education space, which saves us thousands of dollars each year. Plus, we only have to give presentations once, and it can be shared countless times on demand to schools across the region, which saves us time", said Mark Dashper, a facilitator for Team Solutions and Te Puna Wananga (School of Maori Education) in the Faculty of Education at The University of Auckland.


Two teams of facilitators and practitioners within The University of Auckland's Faculty of Education, "Digital Pathways Development" and Te Whanau Maioha, are building a series of Mediasite webcasts for year six to year twelve teaching and learning programs centered on specific sections from the new national curriculum. There is a particular emphasis on guidance for Maori and Pasifika (Pacific Island) students identified as at risk of leaving school unprepared for the transition to the workplace or further education. Also, Te Whanau Maioha is a new bilingual delivery initiative for Maori teachers, leaders, and educational settings whose medium of instruction is through te reo Maori, the indigenous language.


"Our webcasting focus has been on accessing the student voice, identifying teacher needs, incorporating education in te reo Maori, and meeting the eLearning requirements of schools. Mediasite allows us to accomplish these things", Dashper said.


Educators across New Zealand can access live Mediasite webcasts presented by Dashper and associate Nicola Riley utilizing guest facilitators and practitioners, and they can also participate in live Q&A during the presentations. Webcasts and professional support can also be accessed at any time on demand.


The University of Auckland measures results by the expansion of its professional learning and development (PLD) program's national contracts in most curriculum areas in English and te reo Maori. All signs point to success because the Faculty of Education is now the largest provider of K-12 professional development in New Zealand.


"We're excited about the future possibilities in this medium as part of the overall PLD strategy. Using Mediasite, we are able to offer a coordinated delivery to schools. Mediasite gives us an edge by providing a product that we can easily customize to meet our schools' needs. It gives us the ability to adapt to change and continue to provide cutting-edge programming for all schools, which in turn meets the needs of all of our students", Dashper said.


The University of Auckland's Faculty of Education was recently recognized with Sonic Foundry's Rich Media Impact Award in the Scholastic Achievement category. "Video-based online instruction is quickly becoming a standard offering for both the K-12 and higher-education community to communicate quickly and cost effectively with educators, and Sonic Foundry is proud of the long-term success of The University of Auckland as it embraces this model to enhance professional development and in turn student learning experiences", said Gary Weis, chief executive officer of Sonic Foundry.


Trusted by more than 1,000 colleges and universities, the patented Mediasite webcasting and video- content-management system quickly and cost effectively automates the capture, management, delivery, and search of live and on-demand streaming videos and rich-media presentations that combine video with slides.