Top 5 Live Streaming Tips for Schools and Universities

Technology has rapidly transformed the world of education and how we learn. From take-home tablets to online classes, schools and universities are relying more and more on digital experiences to educate their students. In fact, a 2017 study found that 63% of K-12 teachers use technology in the classroom daily. And according to the Babson Survey Research Group, more than 6.3 million U.S. college students took at least one online course during the fall of 2016. Beyond that, live streaming — and the ability to live broadcast — is a powerful tool for keeping students engaged. Live streaming means that students never need to miss class, a big event, or even the Friday night football game. An added bonus is that alumni can remain active participants in the school community, and loved ones can watch graduations or other ceremonies wherever they are.

Case Study: Harvard-Westlake School

Harvard-Westlake School, a private institution in Los Angeles, discovered the benefits of live streaming using Vimeo during their sporting events. In its first year, Harvard-Westlake streamed 23 games. That year, they had 16,000 viewers tune into one water polo game — four times the number of online viewers for the Division I men’s NCAA finals. “Our broadcasts generate huge interest among our community,” says Jason Kelly, Harvard-Westlake’s athletic director. And, viewership continues growing. This year, they’re approaching 100 broadcasts. And it’s the Harvard-Westlake students leading the way, operating cameras, serving as on-air talent, and running production. Vimeo’s live streaming platform serves as both an engagement and educational tool. “Our students get a real sense of contributing to the school that you can’t get in any other way,” Jason says. “You can be on the field for a game or in the stands, but when you help produce a broadcast, you’re bringing your school to whoever can’t be there. There’s such power in that. It’s fun, but there’s a responsibility aspect to it, too.” So what’s the best way to incorporate live streaming and educational video to the academic community — and reap its benefits? Here are some best practices.

Tips from Harvard-Westlake

1. Start slow

It’s important to take your time when building a live streaming program. Jason, started small at Harvard- Westlake, proving out slowly that live video was worth the price tag. First, he rented the equipment. Over the years, they started purchasing streaming gear and adding resources. Try that approach and you’re likely to see success. Case in point? Get backup and support staff to use your equipment properly. Don’t rush into buying equipment you’re unfamiliar with.

2. Get stakeholder buy-in early

Make sure your administration is truly invested in the live program to ensure its growth and success. Speak frequently about the benefits so everyone can recognizes (and articulate) the positive impact of live streaming. “Every time we did a broadcast, we’d highlight the exceptional viewership, which demonstrated that stakeholders were greatly interested in sporting and non-sporting events at the school,” Jason says. “We were able to show them the analytics and viewership which is impressive, so they were able to back us up without hesitation.”

3. Give yourself time

Preparation is critical to a seamless broadcast. That’s everything from getting your releases cleared, setting up early, and informing new students, parents, and rival teams about the broadcast. At Harvard-Westlake, the crew starts setting and testing the stream three hours prior to an event. “We usually have one or two cameras on the field and two or three in the booth for on-field footage, pre-game shows, postgame interviews, and sideline reporters,” says Max Tash, communications teacher and director of Harvard-Westlake TV. Time allows them to achieve professional-level production. Jason is proud of the school’s record – more than 300 broadcasts without a single technical failure. “For a high school to put 300 broadcasts out there and never have to abandon the stream is really remarkable,” he says. “It’s a testament to how reliable Vimeo’s live streaming is for us.”

4. Think about your distribution strategy

Harvard-Westlake amplifies their reach through social media and Vimeo’s live streaming tools. One of their favorites? Simulcasting to Facebook Live. “It’s a cool feature,” Jason says. “We’re able to post highlights and instant replays on Facebook and YouTube, which gives us additional views after the game is over.” Jason posts live and archived video across their social channels, since platform brings a different audience. “Our Twitter is a mix of students, parents, potential applicants, local schools, press, and alumni. We tag our opponent schools so they can pass our stream information to their community,” Jason says. This strategy is increasing their viewership every year — 25,000 for the first, 50,000 in the second, and 70,000 in the third.

5. Let the kids do the work

As an educational institution, students should be doing as much of the broadcast as possible. “We’re a high school, so our job is to educate. We need to educate students and hopefully inspire them to gain a love for broadcasting, so we put them in as many operational and on-camera roles as possible,” Jason says. “We’re lucky to have students who are interested in learning about broadcasting and a school community that buys in. The more events we’re streaming on campus, the more faculty and administrators to ask ‘Can you live stream our event too?’”