5 Best Practices for Building Virtual Classroom Software

Due to COVID-19, remote learning has risen to the forefront of education within the past year, and it looks like it’s here to stay. Whether remote learning is used as an optional alternative to in-person classes, or as a full-time learning experience, students around the world can use virtual classroom software to get the most out of their education while staying at home or traveling.

Prioritize Low latency

The best online learning experiences occur when it feels like all class members are communicating in the same room. Low-latency streaming is important for virtual classroom software because it gives students the ability to share their thoughts and interact with the classroom in real time. It allows for natural conversation without disruptions. WebRTC is the best way to achieve this in virtual classrooms, with the ability to reach sub-500 ms latency.

Device Accessibility

The main goal of remote learning is to make education accessible to those who cannot attend in-person classes. To achieve this accessibility, it is important to keep in mind that not everyone has access to the same devices. In a virtual classroom, students and teachers may join from a variety of smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktops. To ensure that all members of the class are able to access the broadcast, we recommend creating a browser-based app, rather than native apps for a handful of platforms. This reduces the chance for platform-specific issues, and it makes learning approachable for students and teachers alike. This is another area where WebRTC shines: browser-based apps using WebRTC allow for low-latency streams across a wide range of browsers and devices.

Self-hosting the Server Infrastructure

The safety and privacy of students and teachers is of utmost importance when creating a virtual learning application. Self-hosting the server ensures that video recordings and other personal information will not be publicly accessible. Although self-hosting may require more effort and maintenance, it allows full control over the data, where most fully-hosted solutions are subject to change. This keeps students and teachers safe and allows for a comfortable learning experience.

Maintain Security Through Encryption

Privacy can be further maintained through encryption and authentication. WebRTC has built-in encryption that creates a more secure live streaming experience. This can be paired with user security features, such as Red5 Pro’s Simple Auth Plugin, which provides connection-level authentication of users. Using these security features in tandem ensures that only authorized users will be able to access the virtual classroom, keeping students and teachers safe from unwanted guests.

Interactivity

Students and teachers must be able to interact with each other during the class to learn effectively. Adding notifications, screen-sharing, and even chat features can help improve students’ learning experiences by allowing participants to quickly present, share, and view documents, slideshows, videos, and other materials with the class. Interactive elements also recreate the social aspect of in-person classrooms, which is so often missing for students who rely on online-learning platforms for their education.

Where to Begin?

Red5 Pro allows for sub-500ms latency on client-side applications using WebRTC, and provides a fully customizable product that supports high-quality, scalable, secure live-streaming. Red5 Pro can enhance any virtual classroom environment. To learn more, contact info@red5.net, or schedule a call.