Choosing A Video On Demand Service
 There are many video on demand services available to K-12 educators. Some provide professional development services, some provide K-12 programming, and some provide both. Some services are free and others are fee-based. There are many factors to consider when selecting a video on demand service that will meet your needs.
What types of content does the VOD service offer?
Many video on demand services offer more than just video. Additional services may include still photos and clip art, audio, calendars, quizzes, lesson plans, and curriculum correlations.
Does the VOD service require any extra hardware or software?
Most VOD services are self-contained. This means that all you will need to access the resources at the site is access to the Internet, an account with the service, and a video player like RealPlayer, QuickTime, or Windows Media Player, but there are some services that do require additional software and/or hardware.
What rights do you have to use the content during a licensing period?
Rights to look for include the right to download video onto your hard drive, the right to burn a video onto a CD, or copy a video onto a DVD or VHS tape. Some services let you use video clips in presentation software like PowerPoint or Hyperstudio and others let you use the video in movie making programs.
What rights do you have to the content once the licensing period is over?
Can you continue to use video clips, photos and clip art after the licensing period is over?
Is the service cost-effective?
How many teachers and students will be using the service and what is the cost per user? Will you be able to save money on video purchases or clip art software by using the service?
Is the programming offered aligned to state standards?
Many K-12 VOD services have aligned the videos in their libraries to state standards and let you locate appropriate clips based on those standards. If the service does have standards alignments, make sure they are using the latest standards for your state!
Does the program content offered meet needs?
What type of programming is offered? Does it align with what you are teaching in the classroom and will it enhance what you are doing?
Is the content age-appropriate?
Does the VOD service have offerings appropriate to the grade level you are teaching? Many services have a wealth of programming appropriate for one grade grouping like high school, but lack programming for middle and elementary school.
Is the content valid and up-to-date?
Videos offered by some services may be more than 10 years old. For some topics, like ancient history, this may not present a problem, but for areas where there is more frequent change in knowledge, like science, dated video can be an issue.
Is the video delivered in usable format? Windows Media, Quicktime, Real Player?
Services may deliver video in all of these formats or in just one of these formats. This can easily be remedied as all of these formats can be downloaded for free from the Internet.
Can clips be downloaded?
If clips can be downloaded, check to see if they can be scheduled for download. This will allow you to download clips overnight or at another time that won't tie up your school's network!
Do videos have lesson plans and other ancillary materials?
Many services offer tools to help you use the videos in the classroom including lesson plans, games, quizzes, closed captioning, and transcripts.
Are clips and other resources easy to locate by: keyword, grade level, subject?
Does the service have a search feature that will allow you to locate clips by grade level, keyword, curriculum standard, or subject area?
Is the Web interface easy to navigate?
Does the web interface lend itself to both teacher and student use? Will you and your students be able to easily view and download clips and access the resources available at the site?
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