This Rich, Synchronous Video Meeting Platform Sets the Stage for the Emerging Anywhere, Anytime Classroom
The first time I encountered Shindig was while participating in one of Bryan Alexander's “Future Trends Forum” events (which I have written about and highly recommend)! Shindig is the platform that the event was hosted on and I was immediately intrigued.
Sure, I'd used plenty of web-based video conferencing tools before, but this one provided breakout sessions – you could have your own private video chat with another user by just clicking on their image. It also allowed for featuring one or more main speakers, and anyone watching could be “bought up on stage” at any time to be one of the main speakers. These and other functions made the app really stand out for me. Apparently I'm not the only one who was struck by Shindig's capabilities – they won “Cool Vendor” recognition from Gartner for 2017!
I reached out to the folks at Shindig and was fortunate to speak with CEO and Founder Steve Gottlieb. I could quickly see the relationship between the quality and vision of the product and the passion of the man behind it. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well Steve gets education. As we discussed various ways in which a platform like this could be used in the academic setting, it was clear that Steve understood our world as he ran through educational scenarios and requirements that fit Shindig's capabilities.
A Technology That can Help Drive Fundamental Change
For a while now I've been considering a piece envisioning what the student experience might be like in 2025 or 2030, and when I think about this, one of the things that comes to mind is the idea that students will not necessarily need to GO to school every day – some days they should simply be able to attend from where they are, via an audiovisual experience. Now I'm not talking about online education as we generally know it today – an rather impersonal asynchronous learning experience which generally lacks strong connections with the instructor and with other students. I'm talking about getting comfortable in front of a screen and connecting with your teacher wherever he or she is, and with students across the globe, to virtually participate in live lecture, dialogue, group work, reflection, etc. When I look at Shindig I think – BOOM! School of the future.
This video provides a quick overview of some ways in which Shindig has been used in the world of education so far. I look forward to learning and writing more about the use of Shindig and how schools and institutions are leveraging it. (In the meanwhile, if you want to see or experience Shinding, check out one of Bryan Alexander's recorded, or upcoming, “Future Trends Forum” events).