Some of the benefits of capturing the classroom on video are obvious. Lecture capture is incredibly useful when students have to miss a class, such as if they get sick or have to go to a job interview. It’s also an amazing way to extend material beyond the walls of the classroom, enabling distance learning and supporting students with nontraditional schedules. But there are some added benefits you may not have thought of, as well. What are some of the hidden benefits of lecture capture?
Studying for Finals
Making it possible for students to rewatch lectures is an amazing study aid. It’s especially helpful when the material from the earlier part of the semester may have gotten buried in the later material. Many schools report a big spike in viewing during review periods.
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Choosing Courses
Most schools let students swap courses during the week or two of the semester. The problem is, if you go to course A for the first week and then decide to switch to course B, you’ve already missed one or two classes for course B. Lecture capture gives students a chance to switch without penalty. They can get caught up with their new class, so they don’t start off behind. It also means students make the swaps they need, instead of sticking with a bad initial choice because they’re afraid their grades will suffer.
Rewatching for Comprehension
Some people need to hear information more than once for it to sink in. Others get new information that recontextualizes earlier material, and need to go back and get everything to fit. Rather than slowing down the class asking for repeats of covered material, lecture capture makes it easy for students to watch as many times as they need to. They can even watch the video at a slower pace if they want, changing to 0.75x or 0.5x playback speed. Less frustration for everyone!
Speeding Things Up
On the other hand, some students get frustrated with the slow pace of normal conversation. When they’re reviewing material, they want to do it at lightning speed. Med students, in particular, tend to watch lecture capture videos at 1.5x or 2x playback speed. Giving them control over how fast they can watch makes for more efficient study habits.
Increasing Accessibility
Controlling the speed of playback is only one way video can support different learning styles. It’s also possible to add captions and audio descriptions as a way to make material more accessible in a cost-effective way. Captions are great not just for people with hearing impairments, too. Many people report increased comprehension and retention when captions are added. The point is that video recordings dramatically increase the number of options that people have. When learners have more choices, they can more easily meet their learning needs. Lecture capture opens the door, making education more easily available to everyone.
What other hidden benefits of lecture capture will you discover?
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