Case study
YuJa Video Platform and Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform Are a ‘Game Changer’ at Saint Francis University
Introduction
YuJa Video Platform Goes ‘Above and Beyond’ the Institution’s Needs
Saint Francis University is a Catholic Franciscan university that offers undergraduate, graduate and professional studies programs located in Loretto, Pennsylvania. When the administration at Saint Francis University needed a video solution to be used for teaching and learning, it asked the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) to help evaluate tools. At that time, the university did not have an institution-wide tool for recording and distributing video to students.
60+
Programs
2,100
Enrollment
1847
Founded
Location
Loretto, PA
“In 2020 we saw an increased usage in videos by both faculty and students, and we were really looking for a tool that offered options for recording and video storage, and then an important component to us was a video tool that had closed captioning and automatic captioning,” said Briana Keith, Assistant Dean of Academic Quality, Assessment, and Compliance. “We discovered YuJa in our search and the Video Platform stood out because it had the features we were looking for and additional features that went above and beyond, like the option to edit videos, add video quizzes to instructional videos instructors were providing for their courses, and more.”
About the University
About Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University is one of the oldest Catholic universities in the country, and the oldest celebrating Franciscan values. Faith, generosity, respect, discovery, and joy are in our DNA, and we seek to attract students with a passion for shaping the world.
Saint Francis University’s 600-acre campus in Loretto, Pennsylvania is in the heart of the great outdoors, yet the location provides an easy drive to Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, D.C., and New York City.
“We’ve had a good experience in terms of YuJa listening to our feedback and adding new features to meet our needs.”
Accessibility
Saint Francis Increases Accessibility for All Learners with YuJa Panorama
Shortly after the integration of the Video Platform, the institution saw an increased need for accessible learning materials and the institution adopted the YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform. “Accessibility is an ongoing process,” said Megan Hall, Senior Instructional Designer with the CETL. “We were able to work closely with the YuJa team to get everything set up in Canvas. We’ve had a good experience in terms of YuJa listening to our feedback and adding new features to meet our needs.”
Today, Hall said the most widely used feature in the Accessibility Platform is the alternative format generation, with the number of various formats being downloaded at over 10,000. “To put that into perspective, our FTE is 2,100, and 10,000 is the number of alternative formats being downloaded,” Keith remarked.
Hall noted that instructors also use YuJa Panorama. “It’s used mostly by students, but is also used by the instructors. For example, if an instructor uploads a Microsoft Word document – in the past, before we had Panorama – they would also have to upload a PDF, whereas now Panorama does that for them automatically,” she said.
With the Remediation Engine instructors and course designers can fix accessibility issues in real time in Panorama, which is integrated in Canvas. “Accessibility is a nonstop process. The Remediation Engine and the ability to make accessibility changes directly in Canvas is a game changer for our university,” Hall stated.
Video Platform
YuJa Software Capture is Used Across the Institution for Instructional and Other Purposes
The Video Platform has proven to be advantageous in a rapidly evolving educational landscape, especially in online courses which “rely heavily on instructors recording videos to deliver their content,” Keith said. “Video quizzes have taken videos from a passive activity in an online course to an active learning experience. It really provides those checks and questions they might have had if they were in a live, face-to-face class.”
Auto-captioning and software capture, video editing, and video quizzing are used widely across the institution, Hall noted.
“Offering ADA compliant software capture was huge,” Matthew Hankinson, Instructional Designer in the CETL remarked. “People use YuJa Software Capture to create videos for their students, and we even use it a lot in our department (the CETL) to see video analytics. Instructors also like viewing analytics to see if students are watching videos, how much they’re watching, where they pause, and what devices they use. We’re also using video editing and quizzing frequently.” Other departments, such as marketing, use the Video Platform for storage and basic video editing for public facing videos.
Benefits
YuJa’s Solutions Benefits Everyone at Saint Francis University
The biggest benefit of using YuJa’s ed-tech tools has been the ability to provide accessible, compliant learning materials to students. “Videos are ADA compliant with auto captions,” Hall shared. “YuJa doesn’t just help students with disabilities. It helps everybody and improves the experience for all learners.”
On the teaching side, YuJa’s Video Platform helps instructors understand where there might be confusion in their courses. Video quizzes provide knowledge checks and make the learning experience more active, which is beneficial for both students and instructors and gradebook integration has proven to be a time saver. “Instructors like that YuJa is a one-stop shop where you can do everything in one platform rather than going from one to create to another to edit, caption, and store,” Hall stated. “It’s all within YuJa.”
“It’s nice that there’s a basic mode for those who aren’t as into tech, and then an advanced mode for those who want more options,” Hankinson added.
Panorama provides accessible alternatives and language translations, in addition to LMS integration, real-time remediation, user-friendly accessibility gauges, and other features.
Conclusion
YuJa’s Solutions Work Together to Create Positive Teaching and Learning Experience
When YuJa’s Video Platform and then Accessibility Platform were introduced, Hankinson said you could sense the excitement instructors felt. “YuJa stands out as a company we’ve worked with that actually wants to hear from their customers and that wants feedback,” he said. “In turn, they’re making improvements based on those suggestions. You always feel like your voice is being heard and that your suggestions are being considered.”
In addition, the CETL team agreed that YuJa’s support team is top notch in terms of availability, training, and resolving any issues that pop up. “Things are always resolved in a quick and timely manner. YuJa stands out in a good way,” Hall concluded.
Highlights
Saint Francis University began using YuJa’s Video Platform in 2020 and quickly adopted YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform.
02.
Both the Video Platform and Accessibility Platform are used widely at the institution by instructors, students, and even non-instructional departments like the CETL and marketing.
03.
Institutional leaders called YuJa’s tools a “game changer” for the institution in terms of providing a one-stop shop with tools that make it simple to create, edit, and deliver accessible content.
“Accessibility is a nonstop process. The Remediation Engine and the ability to make accessibility changes directly in Canvas is a game changer for our university.”
– Megan Hall, Senior Instructional Designer with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
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