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Ustream is an online service that lets you stream live or recorded video to a worldwide audience. The service is all hosted on their site, you just record/broadcast it and it is available to all. All you need is a web cam, microphone and an internet connection. As an added bonus whoever is watching can chat with the broadcaster or with each other live. This opens up plenty more opportunities.

So how could someone in education utilize this tool?

• Well I think the obvious way is to stream lectures live to Distance Learning Students to make them feel more a part of a class. Even if they cant make it at the specified time they can watch the recording. Questions could be asked and wouldn’t interrupt the lecture.
• Set up a weekly channel broadcast where you deliver added value content for your course, nothing required but something that they can watch for a bit more information.
• We’ve all seen or heard of live feeds of a rare bird nesting or a beluga webcam at the Vancouver Aquarium (http://www.vanaqua.org/belugacam/) why not set something like that up for a science experiment or a research project.
• Broadcast big events that you are covering and give your synopsis of what is happening.
• Set up a roundtable discussion with some colleagues, discuss some important issues that involve your course and even involve the viewers to ask questions.
• Broadcast campus sporting events.

Again these are just some of my ideas and I would love to hear your comments or additions to this topic.