This document summarizes the findings of a lecture capture project at Durham University. It was a large-scale rollout of lecture recording across all centrally bookable rooms and staff. Usage data showed over 85% of lectures were recorded and over 70% of students watched at least one recording. Surveys found students had positive perceptions and used recordings to clarify concepts, fill notes, and catch up on missed classes. While most staff were supportive, some were concerned it could discourage attendance. Overall the project was successful, but policy and technical improvements were recommended.
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COMING LATE TO THE PARTY
Strong lead from the VC
Student expectation
Inclusivity
Other HEIs already doing it
Photo by Matheus Frade on Unsplash
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THE BIG BANG
All centrally bookable rooms
All lectures
All staff (opt-out)
Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash
Audio and projector captured
Strict 50-minute window
Custom indicator light
No auto-captioning :-(
2-day delay for editing
A 3-year project condensed into 1
BiG BANG THEORY
the
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LITERATURE REVIEW
50 peer-reviewed articles and literature reviews, 2010-2019
Attendance
Lower: 6
No difference: 7
Higher: 2
Attainment
Worse: 2
No difference: 9
Better: 8
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LITERATURE REVIEW
50 peer-reviewed articles and literature reviews, 2010-2019
Student views
overwhelmingly
positive (17)
e+ Staff views
mixed (10)e+ e-
Different student approaches (usage)
yield different attainment levels (7)
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OPT-OUT
PERCENTAGE OF LECTURES NOT RECORDED BY FACULTY
Highest opt-out rate in
Arts and Humanities
Lowest opt-out rate in
Sciences
11.9%
5.8%
17.7%
Social Sciences & Health
Science
Arts & Humanities
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DEMOGRAPHICS
EU/International Students
Students who Declared a Disability
both watched more
p<.001
p<.001
Differences in the number of recordings watched
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VIEWING FREQUENCY
Number of recordings watched – non-linear scale
Numberofstudents
2,400
4,800
1,800 1,900 1,900
600
100 20
Positive skew
Very long tail
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ACCESS WHENEVER YOU NEED IT?
51%
62%
Other HEIs
Durham
Students (to view)
64%
78%
Staff (to record)
Jisc Digital Experience Insights survey 2019 (UK HEIs): student survey n=14,560; teaching staff survey n=3,497
Durham participants: student survey n=1,236 (representative); teaching staff survey n=224
All differences statistically significant (p<.001)
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STUDENTS USE LECTURE RECORDINGS…
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
To revisit and clarify aspects you didn't understand
To fill gaps in notes
As a revision aid
To catch up on missed classes
To listen more in class and take detailed notes later
To overcome challenges in maintaining concentration
To access instead of attending lectures
To overcome language barriers
To meet a particular need for the inclusive aspects
For other reasons
Often Sometimes Never n=1125
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d clarify…
vercome… 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
To revisit and clarify aspects they didn't understand
To fill gaps in notes
As a revision aid
To catch up on missed classes
To listen more in class and take detailed notes later
To overcome challenges in maintaining concentration
To access instead of attending lectures
To overcome language barriers
To meet a particular need for the inclusive aspects
For other reasons
Often Sometimes Never Don't know Not applicable
STAFF THINK STUDENTS USE LECTURE RECORDINGS…
n=204
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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Rating of assistive technology support
p=.002
Overall rating of University digital provision
p<.001
Overall rating of digital learning & teaching
p<.001
Reported frequency of lecture recording had positive
correlations with…
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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Sometimes it is impossible to
make sufficient notes on a
complicated concept explained
quickly, so lecture recordings are
so useful to go back over the
concept and make concrete notes
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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
More lecturers need to record
their lecture. I'm dyslexic and note
taking is not a strength so having
recordings really help my learning
Make all lecturers use
Encore to support all
students equally
If there is concern that students
will use recordings instead of
showing up, this can be overcome
by monitoring attendance.
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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
For subjects using the whiteboards it
is useless, encourage lectures to use
visualizer and write material on paper
underneath so can be watched back
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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Sometimes the audio quality is
poor. In my opinion this is due to
incorrect equipment use by staff.
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
I don't think it's an effective
medium as it simply encourages
students not to come to class.
Students also stop taking notes
which is the most important
aspect of engaged listening and
learning.
Encore answered a need that has
been growing over the last 5 years
- students wanted it, and this
member of staff wanted it as well.
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
It has been a triumph to do so much
in such a short time. There are bad
habits that students adopt, but we
need to change our practice to
embrace this change
It's fantastic - I wish we'd had it years
ago. Repeating lectures every year is
a waste of time. Now I can just retain
recordings and use the freed up time
for more focused work with students.
Great but it should be made
compulsory or opt out needs to signed
off by HoD with a valid reason.
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
Can be useful in some circumstances
and for some courses, but should not
made be compulsory.
Still not full coverage!
Having around 90% participation
when use is voluntary seems to
indicate there is no need to force
staff to use it.
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
Weaker students who are struggling
to engage over-rely upon it by
assuming that they can listen to that
instead of attend but find that it is a
poor substitute for attendance
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
Weaker students who are struggling
to engage over-rely upon it by
assuming that they can listen to that
instead of attend but find that it is a
poor substitute for attendance
The 5 min past start and 5
min to end is stupid. If you
lecture with passion you
can’t wait to start and run
to the line.
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STAFF PERCEPTIONS
It is fine but the capture technology
should fit with all styles rather than the
lecturer having to change. Variety is
important to keep students engaged if
they have multiple back to back classes.
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INSIGHTS
Opt-out policy increased adoption
Staff don't know how students are using recordings
Students aren't being told how to use them
Perceived unfairness in current offering
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WHAT NEXT?
Policy changes
• acceptable use – not for strike-breaking
• reduced turnaround time: 1 day
Phase 2 of lecture capture project – focus?
Develop useful analytics
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KEY REFERENCES
Edwards, M. & M. Clinton (2019) A study exploring the impact of lecture capture availability and lecture capture
usage on student attendance and attainment. The International Journal of Higher Education Research, 77, 403-
421.
Morris, N. P., B. Swinnerton & T. Coop (2019) Lecture recordings to support learning: A contested space
between students and teachers. Computers & Education, 140, 103604.
Nordmann, E., & Mcgeorge, P. (2018, May 1). Lecture capture in higher education: time to learn from the
learners. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ux29v
Nordmann, E., Kuepper-Tetzel, C. E., Robson, L., Phillipson, S., Lipan, G., & Mcgeorge, P. (2018, December 11).
Lecture capture: Practical recommendations for students and instructors.
https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/sd7u4
Full bibliography available upon request
Editor's Notes
What were the drivers?Able to learn from others already quite far down the road
Changes to Disabled Students Allowance and the EU Directive on Web Accessibility
Just doing the right thing!
A range of formal and informal sources, from staff and students.
Box-setting? Most students only watched a few recordings – less than the number of lectures they would have had, so no evidence for mass absence. Very long tail suggests that some students may be using them in other ways – need to unpick the ethics of identifying them and learning more…