Can You Show Me That Again? Recording Lectures in Brightspace

Editor's Notes

• #8: I mainly used techsmith’s snagit utility to capture live lectures as I delivered them. This included powerpoint presentations, web browsing, as well as writing and executing computer programs and in the 2nd semester writing database queries, generating reports and drawing diagrams.
• #9: vistek, bill Bishop
• #10: Bestbuy In the 2nd semester work there was some design work on the whiteboard. This I recorded using a HD webcam and posted that video on D2L. It was similar to solving math equations and it seemed to me that the whiteboard was the most nature way to present and explain this.
• #11: saneal camera calgary To get the web cam close enough and at the right height I was a tripod.
• #12: Do a quick demonstration of this. Files can be quite large 150 Mb for a 40 minute video. You need to be on-campus to upload the videos. Google Chrome is the preferred browser for uploads, IE often times out during uploads of larger video files. One of my top requirements was, this can’t generate more work for me. I has to save me time not cost me additional overhead.
• #15: I decided I would do a study on the use of this technology for my fall and winter deliveries.
• #16: Student body were ICT students, 85% male, 15% male. All students have a SAIT issued laptop. The classes that I taught were part of 1st and 2nd semester in the IT Diploma. In 1st semester I taught programming essentials and in the 2nd semester database programming. Approximately 40% of my 1st semester students moved on into my Database course in 2nd semester the other 60% were new to me.
• #17: Programming Essentials Learn how to use the Java software development environment (a piece of software) to students write, compile, execute and debug programs. So it’s a new software program, similiar to learning like excel or access, just more complex. Face to face delivery Supplemented by Brightspace student slides, programming assignments and M/C quizzes
• #18: Database Programming (58 students) 2nd semester class Face to face delivery Material was split evenly between Using ORACLE to write and execute queries Drawing database designs (by hand and using Visio) More high level analysis type of work.
• #19: As part of the study I asked the Students to complete a survey on the use of recorded lectures twice during the semester. Once just prior to the midterm and again just before the final exam. They were given the following 6 questions. [Read the questions]
• #22: So are you ready for the results?
• #25: Next question had to do with the device used to access the recordings. For this questions students could select multiple different devices. So sometimes when they were on the LRT they could watch the video on their smartphone, or the might watch it on a tablet at home, or through a computer (laptop or desktop). Smartphone usage seemed to drop off significantly after the midterm survey. It appears in this course that a computer is the superior platform for using these recordings. Again that makes sense as this is a programming class and all the tools that we use only work on a PC. So I suspect they would probably be watching the video while working through examples on their computer at the same time. For your classes I suspect you might see much higher tablet and smartphone usage. That concludes the results for the 1st semester, Programming Essentials.
• #26: In the 2nd semester course I taught a course called database programming. It was split between writing queries in a text-based tool (ORACLE SQL*PLUS) and doing high level design work. The design work was quite different as I had to draw and explain a number of diagrams. Initially I was going to use an HD webcam for this part of the course. I did do this for a couple of sessions but in the end I found that using a drawing tool like visio was faster and easier and required less setup.
• #27: Response rate was a bit low than the 1st semester students, I guess by second semester some of the “thrill” is gone in terms of filling out surveys, even if you can get some professionalism marks for taking the time to complete them.
• #28: So these are the same questions that I asked the 1st semester students. Did you made use of the recorded lectures? [review graph] Trends: Usage started quite high and remained high. Perhaps this is because 40% of the students were already familiar with the use of recordings from 1st semester and word got around quickly to the remaining students.
• #29: How many times did you access the recordings? [Review graph] Less high frequency users when compared to 1st semester. The 1st semester students were more heterogeneous coming from 4 different specializations while the students in 2nd semester all came from the same specialization. By the time you get to second semester we like to things students actually start to know what they’re doing. Other trends: Again the frequency of usage decreased over the semester. My theory is that students initially were trying to get a handle on the material as databases were new to them in 2nd semester. By the time the final survey came out the new the lay of the land and they were primarily accessing the areas that they didn’t understand or recordings of classes that they had missed.
• #30: Again Computer usage stayed pretty high . The course material again can only be practiced on a computer so it would probably be best to have the video up in a separate window and have another window up where you are running the databases. It was interesting to note that in 2nd semester a number of students (5-6) have purchased a 2nd monitor that they would bring to class so that they would have more desktop space on their computer. It is possible that they used the 2nd monitor to display the video and the other monitor to work through the examples. I don’t know that for sure but that would be a good follow-on question for next time. Other trend was that smartphone usage decreased as the semester wore on. This could be a couple of reasons. First the resolution of a smartphone probably isn’t sufficient to watch the demonstrations and secondly the video files are bit large 153 M so that could affect data limits on some cell phone plans.
• #32: Next we’ll look at some of the answers to the long-answer questions. For these and have grouped all the results together (from the two surveys done in 1st and 2nd semester and tried to create some meaningful categories). If you’d like to see the details survey responses just let me know I can provide those to you.
• #33: So of the 2 courses and 2 surveys there was a total of 131 long-answer responses. First long answer question How did the use of recorded lectures assist you in this course? Help with understanding, or to answer questions or as a reference x40 Help with assignments x7 Sometimes I provided a video overview for some of the assignments When I’m having trouble, as a corrective aid, answer specific questions x9 Study aid x1 Help understand difficult sections Verify understanding x1 On an assignment x2 Get stuck x1 Clarification x1 Help them to Review the material x33 More interactive way of reviewing material To remember information that I forgot x1 review difficult material x1 Help study for an exam x9 Catch up when I miss a class x32 To get missing notes I was sick alot, it was a life-saver x2 One student severely broke his leg and had difficultly attending class for 6 weeks. Another student’s mom was diagnosed with cancer and she was caring for her and missed 8 weeks Both students successfully completed the course in large part because the class sessions were recorded and made available. Didn’t feel I had to bug the instructor Help pick up what I missed in class x18 Help with material I missed during the lecture x3 I was distracted by other things during lecture, it helps me put the pieces together after the fact x2 Pick up material a missed or didn’t understand during lecture x2 clarification x2 review what was taught x1 I have trouble keeping up to the lecture x1 Preview the material before it is taught live x5 Can focus on asking questions in class Work ahead x1 Helped when instructor as away sick x2 The substitute instructor actually played the video and answered questions View Demonstrations x2 Convenient x1 Provided a sense of comfort knowing they were available x1 More efficient way of learning x1 Work ahead x1 It feels like your actually in the classroom with the professor. Helped reduce pressure from missed classes schedule on stat holidays x1 To see a topic taught a different way with different examples x1 Get an explanation on the solution for a quiz/assignment x1
• #34: This was a complete surprise to me, I thought that if I offered recording of the lectures that I would end up lecturing all by myself. But as best I can tell it had no affect on attendance. 96% of the respondents prefer to come to the live lecture and view the recording as a backup in case they can’t make in or need to pick up something they missed while in class.
• #35: So why do student need the live lecture/live classroom environment? Well for the people who felt the needed the live lecture here are some of the reasons why... Yes x66 Provides an opportunity to questions x29 Or get help x1 opportunity to ask a question x3 Interesting as students don’t tend to ask alot of questions when I am lecturing, I think it is the comfort of knowing that if there is a question they can ask. Get clarification x2 I’m more engaged during the live lectures/like the atmosphere x11 Less distractions in the classroom x1 Easier to understand x1 Jokes are funnier in class x1 Videos don’t capture atmosphere of the live class/I focus better in a live classroom environment x5 More interactive x6 Increase the speed of learning/keep pace with the material x3 Good time for work on assignments/programming examples with others x5 To some degree I have already flipped the classroom as I have made it a place to work on assignments in pairs Interaction with instructor is important x3 Instructor can provide alternative method of explaining concepts x1 Can see material written on whiteboard that wasn’t in video x1 Instructor can provide alternative method of explaining concepts x1 For the people who said they did NOT need the live lecture here are the reasons why the didn’t need the live lecture. There were only 3 respondents so I decided not to make a separate slide for this. No x3 Just provide the videos Q and A session with more time to work on assignments. We can just watch the videos and come to class if we have questions x2 live streaming would be an acceptable replacement x1 Go with the recorded videos and maybe just meet one day a week x1 Have recorded lectures on the hardest topics x1 DL: Maybe offering pre-recorded versions of this may be helpful from a previous delivery that way the lectures will be slightly different and may offer a different perspective. Everything I need is in the recording, good to pause, rewind x1 Video boost confidence in the material and offer peace of mind if you having trouble x2  
• #36: Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding recorded lectures? CPRG250A #1 suggestions was to “Encourage other instructors to try doing this x8” So that’s part of the reason why I am here today. #2 comment was that students Appreciated know that the recordings were availablex6 It gave them a certain sense of comfort. Just as it takes some of the pressure off me as an instructor, it also seems to reduce the stress levels of students. helps to review for quizzes x3 #3 comment was that I should “Add images of whiteboard x3” I confess there were times when I just felt compelled to draw something on the board and that was not capture in the recordings. If you do alot of this you have two options: use an HD web camera to record the whiteboard for the entire session or have SAIT pay you a wacom tablet so that you can scribble on a tablet as you would on a touch screen x1 #4 the quality of the video is excellent (video and sound) x3 Great the way they are, don’t need beautiful cuts/transitions and the audio quality is good as is. x2 [You don’t need to edit these recordings you don’t need to be a perfectionist, just do what you normally do in class and it will be fine.] Last item is over of a technical topic #5 Make the recorded lectures shorter x3 smaller files would mean less buffering on slower internet connections x1 I think some of these issues will be addressed the new Capture facility that is coming available to brightspace that will provide a separate server (computer) dedicated to the streaming of videos. Try to optimize videos for the web as the videos are very large and consume a large quantity of resources on slower internet connections x1 Have a recorded lecture on FAQs x1 Record outside of class so there is no laughter or student comments in background x1
• #37: Biggest Surprises for me Students still want face to face time with their instructor and peers Even the computer geeks! A large number of students use the recordings to pick up what they missed in class What! Aren’t they paying attention? I mean my lectures/demonstrates are pretty short <40 minutes! No that’s not the issue, some them of them find I go too fast and they really need to slow the whole thing down so that they are understand the material. The recordings offer a sense of comfort to students and act like a safety valve to relieve stress Students don’t have to worry. Here’s how the students view the recordings: If I can’t write everything down I can get that later, If I forget how to do this I can go back to the recordings, if I have a problem on the assignment I can watch the overview. It turns dials back the stress level for students.