Lecture Capture

I really like the idea of podcasting and video casting. It helps to extend information beyond the classroom in a meaningful and useful way. It can also be used for classroom assignments and exercises. The most interesting aspect of casting for me is lecture capture, which is the ability to record a lecture. The primary motives for doing so are to provide an opportunity for content review and for use in an online course. Recording a lecture or classroom presentation is not a new concept, but the technology that exists today makes it easier than ever. There is a wide range of software and hardware that could be employed for this task, and cost range from free to tens of thousands of dollars for proprietary hardware.

While I was writing this blog, I found a series of articles from EmergingEdTech describing Lecture Capture in detail. The first article is a conceptual overview of this topic. The second piece discusses the lecture capture process. The third essay continues to explore the technology introduced earlier in the series.

My preference is for software like Elluminate because the main hardware required is a computer, web cam, and microphone. Most classrooms or faculty have a PC and the peripheral devices are inexpensive. I use Elluminate for remote meetings and its being used in an online class I’m taking now. I think it’s also owned by Blackboard, who is the largest player in the online learning space. That means the software is supported. It isn’t the cheapest option but if you’re with an institution it’s a reasonable price. Other, more expensive hardware requires the proper network infrastructure and network-based appliances.

The advantage of lecture capture is that it makes recording presentations easy. I work at a four-year university and our faculty request this capability to record a class in advance of an absence, so the class can continue if the teacher is abroad, to capture complex modalities like computer programming, and to use recorded material in our learning management system, Angel. Our school doesn’t have the products described in the EmergingEdTech article. They use Camtasia to record activity on the desktop and audio from an external microphone.

Whatever the approach, the benefits are clear. Casting, especially lecture capture is a unique way to provide important information to students for present of future use in the classroom or beyond.