Lecture capture providing unexpected benefits

Some unexpected benefits of lecture recordings in students’ learning were revealed at the University’s annual Summer Teaching & Learning Conference. 

More than 100 teaching and learning colleagues attended a keynote speech by a virtual learning researcher as part of a programme of activities focused on student engagement. 

The conference was organised by the University’s Centre for Quality Support & Development (CQSD) and hosted by Professor Elizabeth McCrum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education & Student Experience). 

Presentations and materials from the conference are now available on the CQSD website as a resource for all colleagues. 

Lecture capture 

Dr Emily Nordmann, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow, delivered the keynote speech on the role lecture capture plays in providing an inclusive learning environment at universities. 

Reading students valued the use of recorded teaching materials during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this approach is continuing as part our digitally-enabled approach to teaching at the University.  

From September 2023, this has been extended with the ability for colleagues to record live classroom sessions such as lectures.  

Dr Nordmann’s research has shown that lecture capture in addition to in-person lectures benefits students in several ways, including: 

• Supplementing in-person teaching by allowing students to review materials later.
• Supporting effective note-taking, in that students can pause a recording rather than rushing to note everything in a live teaching session.
• Providing a second chance if students struggle to understand something in a lecture, due to losing concentration because of a health issue, having visual or hearing impairments, English being their second language, or other reasons.
• Supporting inclusive and flexible learning, both for disabled and neurodivergent students and for those with different learning styles. 

Dr Nordmann explained that there were a range of reasons students valued lecture capture, and that it was rarely because they simply preferred online classes. Mental and physical health were the most common reasons reported by students for missing lectures, with online recordings meaning they were less likely to fall behind as a result. 

The presentation recognised that in-person teaching provides a sense of community and belonging, structure and social identity, and that it is therefore important to foster these aspects in the online environment. Dr Nordmann gave an example of how she addressed this by creating ‘watch parties’. The ‘watch parties’ brought students together to watch pre-recorded lectures in structured sessions, with the recorded content broken up with quizzes and discussion sessions.

This teaching style fostered a sense of community, encouraged time management skills and routine whilst also enabling students to flexibly engage with content again in their own time.   

Overcoming anxiety 

Professor McCrum said: “It was a fantastic session which really got people thinking about the ways lecture capture can change the student experience and boost engagement in myriad ways. 

“Emily’s presentation was an interesting invitation to consider her opinion that there is no reason to go back to the methods we used before Covid but, quite the opposite, to do all we can to continue to offer choice to students and improve inclusivity. 

“The Q&A session which followed enabled further discussion about staff training to overcome anxiety associated with recording lectures and the perennial issue of how to encourage students to engage with teaching. 

“The point which stayed with me from these conversations was that the knowledge transfer part of online learning is not the issue – the social, community and study skills are where we need to focus our efforts.”