Tag: lectures

pandemic planning

Strike that from Waddington’s Lexicon, ‘the Wonder Game’.

I am very lucky to have a team who think of everything.

The University of Edinburgh lecture recording policy includes a specific clause about reuse under exceptional circumstances including a pandemic (1.3.7). There is also a specific clause about reuse of recordings during industrial action (1.4.3).

I gave a presentation last year at ALT conference about how multiple forces  can combine to hit your business continuity. Last time we were on strike it was snow and floods, this time it’s pandemic planning altc.alt.ac.uk/2018/sessions/

Just saying. Get your learning tech policies in order and next expect locusts.

On strikes:  1.4 iii. “Recordings will not be used to cover University staff exercising their legal right to take industrial action without the lecturer’s consent.”

On exceptional situations:  1.3 vii. “A School may use a recording held within the lecture recording service in exceptional situations to provide continuity, as specified within business continuity plans relevant to the School. Examples of exceptional situations might include significant disruption from a pandemic or other natural event or the unforeseen loss of part of the University estate. The School will, where reasonably possible, inform the lecturer beforehand that their lecture is to be used and for what purpose, and the lecturer will retain the right not to permit this use. If the lecturer, acting reasonably, objects to use for this purpose, the School will not be permitted to use the recording.”

the state of our lecture recording service

In 2020 90% of lecture courses are taking place in rooms where recording is enabled.  Of those, 89% are using the automatic scheduler developed by ISG and Timetabling teams to minimise the admin burden for staff.   The percentage coverage of 90% is above the sector average, which is approximately 80%.  

Use of the service has risen rapidly, reflecting the expansion each year to cover more rooms.  In 18/19 we had 470,000 video views, in 19/20 we have 1.14 million. Coverage across schools has been good with only 4 schools currently below 80% in semester 1 19/20. 

Recorded lectures are made available to students via Learn VLE as a supplement to face-to-face teaching. In 17/18 500 course in Learn had recorded lectures. In 2019, the number is 1605.  With lecture recording implemented university-wide, negative comments on the lack of a central lecture recording service are no longer appearing in the NSS.   

A focused study was undertaken in the Medical School and among the benefits discussed, the most common was the use of lecture recordings to enhance or complement students’ learning practices, such as revision, clarification purposes, and especially learning in their own time.  Staff participants perceived lecture recordings as an accessibility tool, which can be useful for students who may struggle to learn, e.g. those with learning adjustments. The provision of lecture recordings was seen as reassuring and conducive to better engagement by all students interviewed, as they discussed that they can immerse themselves in the lecture experience rather than struggling to take notes while listening and trying to understand the taught material at the same time.  Early findings from research done in Moray House institute of Education and Sport indicates that Students perceive lecture recording as a ‘luxury’ service provided by the university to enhance accessibility and enable a more individualised and flexible approach to learning. 

Winners of the Learning Technologist of the Year Awards 2019

I’m delighted to say we are winners again!

Winners of the Learning Technologist of the Year Awards 2019

The winner in the Team Awards is the University of Edinburgh Lecture Recording Team. Congratulating the team on the win, the panel described why the entry was chosen thus: although lecture capture is an area of interest to many universities, what was most impressive about this entry was that it provides an exemplar for the implementation of any learning technology. The careful consideration of the perspectives of educators and students, coupled with a practical and responsive implementation makes for an effective model. The open ethos and sharing approach of the project for the benefit of the wider sector is also excellent practice.