e-Lectures within the Chemistry Department
Neil Berry
23/6/09

Outline
• Introduction
Background
Influences and context of “e” methods
e-Learning
• Experiences
Two years in chemistry department
• Practical aspects
Hardware, Software, Time, Effort
• Demonstration
• Student Feedback & Statistics
• Conclusions
• Future work
• Acknowledgements

Introduction - Background
• Last two years lectures recorded in Chemistry
• Initiated through my own interest
• Video (“on-screen” activity – PowerPoint, animations, web pages etc.) and/or Audio
• Recordings mounted on VITAL
• Initial idea
Supplementary to “traditional” lecture to aid learning
• Not lecture replacement

Introduction – Influences and Context e-Learning
• Bologna and Dearing
Supporting student learning
• Government education policy
Out of hours opportunities
More and better flexible opportunities to study
• HEFCE
Inform institutions to enhancing learning, teaching and assessment through
the use of technology
• JISC e-learning
Creation of better learning environment for all learners (JISC training course)
• Vice chancellor’s key five priorities
Enhance student experience
Position as a global university

Introduction – e-Learning
• University e-learning policy – influenced by Bologna, Government, HEFCE, JISC, Audit
“E-learning is learning which is enhanced, supported, mediated or assessed by the
use of electronic media. E-learning may involve the use of new or established
technology and/or creation of new learning material; it may be deployed both locally
and at a distance.”
• e-learning aspect of blended approach – enhance student learning
• Aims of university e-learning policy
By 2010 e-learning “embedded” in all parts of the university
Staff and students able to select appropriate e-learning methods to enhance quality,
efficiency of their teaching and learning

Introduction – e-Learning
• e-Learning benefit staff AND students
• Aspects relevant to recording of lectures:
Increase student engagement (individual/group) especially outside “contact hours”
Promoting personalisation of learning
Support for flexibility of learning in a diverse student body
Encouragement of active learning on the part of the student
Support student progression
Improved contact between student and staff
Promote lifelong learning

Introduction – Influences on e-Learning
• Student diversity
Different students learn in different ways (reading, writing, hearing, doing etc.)
English not first language
• Students engagement – increase variety of stimuli
Maximise chances of engaging students => Increase retention rates
• Students – generation Y
Generally technologically savvy
Desire to be connected 24/7
Desire for face to face AND online contact with students and staff
See no difficulty in surfing between media
• Students - learner entitlement
Enhance equity between students (audio/visual impairments)
Platform independent (Windows/Macintosh/Linux)

Experiences
• Last two years of lectures recorded
Range of years (1-4) and courses (chemistry and subsidiary subjects)
• Video (“on-screen” activity – PowerPoint, animations, web pages etc.) and/or Audio
• Recordings mounted on VITAL
• Recordings in format which can be downloaded/played on variety of platforms
MWS Windows computers (Realplayer, Quicktime etc.)
Portable media players (iPod, iPhone etc.)
Windows/Macintosh/Linux computers
• Initial idea
Supplementary to “traditional” lecture to aid learning
Aid to student learning if student misses lecture
• Not lecture replacement
Students miss opportunity for questions and feedback
No change in level of lecture attendance

Practical Aspects
Hardware
• University lecture theatres equipped with capable Windows MWS PC (or laptop)
• Microphone required, e.g. webcam (~£10)
• VITAL capable to store and stream content
Software
• Screen and audio capture – Camstudio (Free, Opensource)
• Format conversion (transcode) – Mediacoder (Free, Opensource)
Time/Effort
• Set up – <2 minutes
• Capture – length of teaching session
• Format conversion – couple of mouse clicks (~30 minutes computer time)
• Uploading to VITAL as podcast – couple of mouse clicks (<2 minutes)
Quick, Easy and Cheap

Demonstration
Demonstration
• Record a couple of minutes of this talk
• Outline of stages (document available with details)
• Convert into format appropriate for personal media players
• Upload to VITAL

Student Feedback & Statistics
Anonymous VITAL Feedback
• No specific questions about the recordings
• “Things liked about the module” – free text answer
“Audio files on VITAL”
“Online video and audio support provided extremely valuable support in
revision for exams especially as learning abilities demanded different forms
of media.”
• Usefulness of VITAL (lecture notes, audio and video of lectures, web links)?
~80% very good/good over range of modules
• Similar to positive experience from engineering department

Student Feedback & Statistics
VITAL Statistics
• CHEM012 – Organic Chemistry for Biological Sciences
• Weeks 7-12 Second semester
• 6 lectures recorded
• ~150 1st year non-chemistry students
• 1285 hits
Examination
1st recorded Start of summer term
Course start lecture Easter

Student Feedback & Statistics
VITAL Statistics
• Wide variety in times of access
• Wide variety in day of access
⇒ Flexibility and personalisation of learning(?)
(Stop recording)

Student Feedback & Statistics
VITAL Statistics
• CHEM170 – Introductory Spectroscopy
• Weeks 1-10 Second semester
• 5 lectures recorded
• ~90 1st year chemistry students
• 495 hits
Examination
Start of summer term
Course start & 1st
recorded lecture Easter
End of recorded
lectures
(Start transcoding)

Student Feedback & Statistics
VITAL Statistics
• CHEM385 – Chemical Databases
• Weeks 1-6 First semester
• 5 lectures recorded
• ~50 3rd year chemistry students
• 347 hits
End of recorded lectures
• Resource used “inside” module
1st Report
AND “outside” module
Course start
& 1st
recorded End 2nd
2nd Report
lecture Semester
2nd Semester

Student Feedback & Statistics
VITAL Statistics
• CHEM473 – Molecular Modelling
• Weeks 1-6 First semester
• 5 lectures recorded
• ~25 4th year chemistry students
• 176 hits
Course start & 1st End of course
recorded lecture End 1st Semester
(Upload to VITAL)

Conclusions
• Aspects of e-learning will be increasingly encouraged/expected throughout programmes
• Recording of lectures one aspect of e-learning
• Benefit staff AND students
Encouragement of active learning on the part of the student
Increase student engagement (individual/group) especially outside “contact hours”
Promoting personalisation of learning
Support for flexibility of learning in a diverse student body
Support student progression
Promote lifelong learning
• Quick, easy and cheap to achieve
• Students
Use it, like it and find it useful

Future Directions
• Encourage colleagues to have a go (whole modules recorded?)
• “Chapters” to aid navigation of recording
• Change what “lecture time” is used for (workshops, tutorials etc.)?
Acknowledgements
Liverpool
Nick Greeves
Nick Bunyan
Sourceforge
Mediacoder
Camstudio

References
Bologna http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/
Dearing http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna.pdf
HEFCE http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2009/elearn.htm
JISC e-learning http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/themes/elearning/programmeelearning.aspx
Institutional audit 2004 http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/liverpool2004/RG049Liverpool.pdf
Learning styles http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp
http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/research/learning_styles.shtml
Vice chancellor priorities http://www.liv.ac.uk/staff/strategies_policies/strategic-plan.pdf
University e-learning policy https://www.liv.ac.uk/staff/strategies_policies/e-learning-policy-november-2008.doc
Blended learning http://amps-tools.mit.edu/tomprofblog/archives/2008/11/904_the_future.html#more
Institutional audit http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/liverpool2004/RG049Liverpool.pdf
E-learning and retention rates http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible http://www.echo360.com
Generation Y Redmond, P. “Talkin’ ‘bout my generation” Generation Theory and the brave new world of the ‘Yers’,
University of Liverpool Careers and Employability Service, 2007.
Camstudio http://sourceforge.net/projects/camstudio/
MediaCoder http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/