With the release of 2021.04, we are pleased to announce the general availability of free video calling in the Learning Center course classrooms. Instructors and admins can schedule calls via the course calendar or start ad-hoc video calls directly from the communications tab. Video calls in the Learning Center include these features:
No accounts are required for candidates or instructors, there is no software or app to download, and your information is completely protected / private to the Learning Center.
The video calling features in the Learning Center are built on a proven, education focused, open source platform called Big Blue Button. We chose Big Blue Button for its focus on providing a world class educational experience to its users. In addition, being open source allow us to modify the platform to suit our particular needs and deeply integrate it with the Learning Center; creating a seamless experience for both candidates and instructors. Finally, the system is fully administered by U.S. Soccer and hosted on world class cloud infrastructure that will scale to meet demand appropriately.
With the integration of video calling in the Learning Center, candidates in our courses no longer have to leave the site to attend / participate in virtual course meetings. In addition:
If you're interested in learning more about video calls in the Learning Center or Big Blue Button, we encourage you to check out the links below.