‘Condensed Particle Matter’ is a 3rd year physics option. Highly challenging and highly conceptual, its abstruse subject matter makes it a topic that requires much dedicated revision. Lecture Capture introduced a new method of revisiting the course material: the whole 23 hour long series online, displaying the PowerPoint alongside the blackboard, with a search function allowing students to hone in on particularly difficult points.
Being the earliest trial while also requiring multiple media streams and being a large theatre, there were numerous teething troubles. The camera could not be installed into the fixed PC which was in a fixed AV room at the back of the hall; the lectures ended up needing to be edited and uploaded manually, often resulting in a delay between live delivery and online content being put up. It was also realised that better co-ordination between the WebLearn Team, local It Department, It Services and the local Av Team was needed.
However, the perception of Lecture Capture was positive. Professor Steve Simon, the lecturer, said he felt that the trial “went well.” At time of writing, the Student Feedback Survey revealed Lecture Capture working well alongside the live delivery:
- 92% of respondents used the recordings for clarification after the lecture
- 67% for revision
- 67% for reviewing the topic when completing problem sheets
- 72% felt it allowed them to focus on understanding rather than frantically writing notes
This a good indication that as familiarity with the technology grows, Lecture Capture will have many pedagogical benefits.
