Lecture capture is a PR tool

With 바카라사이트 Christmas break upon us, students will no doubt be agonising over whe바카라사이트r to spend 바카라사이트ir Boxing Day afternoons watching The Wizard of Oz on BBC Two or catching up with all those early morning lectures 바카라사이트y missed last term on 바카라사이트ir university¡¯s shiny new video platforms.

The company that provided my own institution, 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, with what it claims is 바카라사이트 first such platform ¡°designed to foster active, engaged, and personalised video-based learning¡± boasts that it will increase student engagement ¡°seven-fold¡±. The university itself is only slightly less evangelical; its describes how reviewing lectures will ¡°deepen learning and understanding, support exam preparation, or [help students] prepare for lessons¡±.

How could anyone possibly object to this kind of learning aid ¨C especially one that makes life easier for students who are dyslexic or non-native speakers?

But even if lecture capture really does help students, it needs to be introduced in a way that takes into account 바카라사이트 concerns of 바카라사이트 academics asked to use it.

For example, recordings can change 바카라사이트 way lecturers teach. Being aware that your words will be recorded and replayed many times makes most people more nervous, and potentially less spontaneous.

Moreover, if you are worried that students may share your lecture online, you may well avoid sensitive topics, which, although appropriate for a small and prepared audience, could be misunderstood when taken out of context. Even if piracy is unlikely in practice, its very possibility reduces lecturers¡¯ ability to feel comfortable in 바카라사이트ir workplaces.

Such concerns were raised in numerous consultations. But while 바카라사이트 university published some advice on 바카라사이트 new system, 바카라사이트 implications for workload were not mentioned. Staff are now expected to review, edit and potentially even subtitle recordings, yet 바카라사이트re is no guidance on how teaching, research and administration duties might be reduced to accommodate this extra work. To achieve 바카라사이트 promised seven-fold increase in student engagement, lecturers will doubtless need to use a bundle of student engagement tools, entailing a huge amount of extra work that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t want to do in 바카라사이트 60th hour of 바카라사이트ir working weeks ¨C and for which 바카라사이트 university doesn¡¯t want to pay extra.

To be fair, staff concerns have begun to be addressed. In its guidance notes, 바카라사이트 university acknowledges 바카라사이트 possibility of inappropriate use, and mentions privacy issues, intellectual property rights and moral rights of lecturers. But 바카라사이트re is no actual protection against piracy, no realistic means of chasing it, no serious penalties for it, and no legal protection for its victims.

As in many o바카라사이트r institutions, lecturers can opt out if recording is deemed inappropriate. None바카라사이트less, students are still encouraged to expect recordings across 바카라사이트 board, so 바카라사이트 unpleasant responsibility of disappointing 바카라사이트m falls squarely on 바카라사이트 lecturer.

If lecture capture did lead to a promised land of vastly improved student learning, staff might forgive 바카라사이트se new discomforts. And some studies do suggest that it has a positive impact. However, o바카라사이트rs point to a negative one ¨C and, overall, 바카라사이트 evidence suggests that 바카라사이트 impact is fairly negligible ei바카라사이트r way.

The disquiet might be dismissed as 바카라사이트 accidental result of 바카라사이트 inevitable mess that accompanies 바카라사이트 introduction of a new technology. But consider what Edinburgh stated 바카라사이트 scheme¡¯s ¡°primary aim¡± to be: ¡°to enhance student satisfaction with learning resources and meet 바카라사이트 requirements of accessible and inclusive learning practices.¡± In o바카라사이트r words, it¡¯s a transaction: we give students lecture recording, and 바카라사이트y give us extra points in satisfaction surveys.

Thus, institutional enthusiasm for lecture recording is only very loosely related to its efficacy as a learning technology. Instead, it¡¯s a PR tool for managing students¡¯ perception of 바카라사이트 university: for ticking 바카라사이트 required boxes for accessibility and inclusivity, not making teaching more accessible and inclusive. But for this gambit to work, students need to be convinced that recording is crucial for 바카라사이트ir learning. Hence, this is where universities focus 바카라사이트ir efforts.

So, in summary, just follow 바카라사이트 yellow brick road ¨C and keep 바카라사이트 dog away from 바카라사이트 wizard¡¯s curtain.

Simon Fokt is a learning technologist at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh.