SUNY Broome Community College, one of 64 institutions in the State University of New York system, was among the first in the system to implement the YuJa Enterprise Video Platform as part of a systemwide agreement in 2022. The agreement enables any SUNY school to license the Video Platform with a simplified procurement process, guaranteed pricing, and access to the full set of features and tools within the Platform.
At the time, the system’s Information Technology Exchange Center (ITEC), which provides IT managed services and hosting systemwide, was seeking a replacement video platform for a solution that had been acquired and was ending its support.
Colleen Kaminski, an instructional designer and the YuJa administrator at SUNY Broome, hadn’t joined the institution yet, but she was familiar with the YuJa Video Platform as it was used at the sister SUNY institution where she previously worked. “When I came to SUNY Broome, I was pleasantly surprised that we also use YuJa,” she said. “The faculty love it. Students love it, and they’re able to access it easily to record and edit videos, and for a variety of other things.”
A dynamic presence in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, SUNY Broome’s history, degree opportunities, exceptional faculty and staff, rich campus life, and dedication to learning, excellence, equity, diversity, and innovation, have established the College as a preeminent school recognized both nationally and globally.
Located in the scenic Southern Tier of New York, SUNY Broome has over 7,700 students annually and serves over 6,100 students per semester in liberal arts, business and professional studies, health sciences, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. An additional 1,600 students are served through the College’s workforce and non-credit programs. SUNY Broome is supervised by the State University of New York, sponsored by the County of Broome, and governed by a Board of Trustees.
Students and instructors access and use the video within SUNY Broome’s D2L Brightspace LMS in two different ways:
Within text dialog boxes, Kaminski explained that students can simply click “insert stuff,” and access their library or they can record a video directly from the dialog box, making it simple to record and insert videos into assignments.
“It’s an all-in-one, easy-to-use function for both our students and our faculty,” she explained, adding that faculty can record videos in the same way. “Our faculty love it. They enjoy using it and find it very user-friendly.”
The Video Platform’s recording feature is the most widely used at SUNY Broome, Kaminski noted, adding that the media library also enables instructors to use video from different sources within their courses.
She shared that hyflex faculty use YuJa on a daily basis. The institution has a hyflex classroom with three cameras, multiple screens, and other technology. Classes are hosted live and recorded with YuJa Software Capture.
“At the end of their class, they stop the recording, end the Zoom session, and before they leave the classroom, all they do is insert that video into the class before they shut Brightspace down. They’re doing everything within Brightspace and YuJa, and their lecture has been recorded for students who couldn’t make it or who are choosing to take the class in an asynchronous mode, but they’re not missing what happened in class.”
Traditional teachers also use the Video Platform for instruction and assignments, improving both the teaching and learning experience.
Faculty create welcome videos for students, use video quizzes, and enjoy the auto-caption feature. Kaminski said she has provided training on how to create welcome videos because they can be powerful in creating a connection between students and instructors.
SUNY Broome is finding new ways to leverage the YuJa Video Platform beyond traditional classroom settings. For example, Kaminski said she uses YuJa for training throughout the year. Student success coaches have been using YuJa to create videos on topics such as study skills, test-taking strategies, time management, and other topics. “They’re even using them to insert decision-point quizzes to gamify their videos,” Kaminski said.
Admissions, Career Corners, and other departments have reached out to her about creating their own videos and will begin using the Video Platform for a variety of videos such as how to create a resume, how to write a cover letter, how to apply for jobs, and more.
In addition, SUNY Broome students use YuJa to record assignments across departments and courses, from Spanish to public speaking, sign language, English, and nursing courses. “Students are able to really demonstrate what they’ve learned using YuJa,” Kaminski stated.
“When students are in an asynchronous online class, giving them a video at the outset gives them a voice and a base to a class and helps them feel a connection with the instructor,” Kaminski shared. “YuJa really provides an easy way to connect with students without instructors having to learn a whole new technology.”
“YuJa really provides an easy way to connect with students without instructors having to learn a whole new technology.”
The YuJa Enterprise Video Platform has been a staple at SUNY Broome since its implementation in 2022.
YuJa was recommended by sister institutions in the SUNY System for its broad feature set and ease of use.
SUNY has a systemwide agreement that streamlines procurement for all of the system’s 64 institutions.
Colleen Kaminski
Instructional Designer
SUNY Broome Community College
