Learning Capture Project update: plans for 2019/2020
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Earlier this year, in response to student demand and practice elsewhere, we announceda project to install technology to record live lectures and teaching sessions in a range of teaching spaces at our Whiteknights and London Road campuses. This project is part of our ambition to deliver Learning Capture, comprising both Personal and Lecture Capture.
Sharing recorded lectures with students is designed to complement class attendance. Benefits include the ability to revisit parts of the lecture students have not understood; revision for exams and assignments; easing the need for note-taking in class; supporting students for whom English is a second language; and helping students catch up if they have missed classes due to illness (Leadbeater et al, 2013; Elliott and Neal, 2016; Hall and Ivaldi, 2017).
Subject to appointing a vendor through the Procurement process, our intention is to install two different levels of technology in 2019/20 as follows:
- Enhanced specification (video, audio and screen capture) to large lecture theatres – Palmer G10, HBS G11, Madejski Lecture Theatre, Van Emden Lecture Theatre, JJT Ditchburn, JJT Slingo, London Road L02. This means we will have a good spread of this provision across campus with some at Earley Gate, London Road and the central part of campus.
- Standard specification (audio and screen capture) in around 20 rooms – we are thinking of larger seminar rooms with a capacity of over 65, but this is subject to further discussion.
For the second phase of the project over the years 2020-22 our current thinking is to deliver the standard specification technology to every centrally bookable teaching room with a capacity of more than 25, working closely with colleagues and students to evaluate the impact and address any challenges encountered along the way.
The Learning Capture Project Committee will oversee the implementation of the project. Chaired by Dr Richard Messer, the Committee has representatives from academic Schools, RUSU, IT, HR, and CQSD. The committee is aware of concerns that lecture capture can impact on student attendance and the lecturing experience, and, using the experience of other universities, the project will address these as part of the implementation. The committee will also develop policies about the use of lecture capture, in consultation with staff representatives and others.