Mediasite Guide – Using Mediasite in the Classroom
Introducing any new technology will change the way you teach and subsequently the way students learn. Technologies such as Mediasite allow external students to share a learning experience that more closely resembles that of internal students.
The advantages of lecture capture for both internal and external students are fundamentally undisputed by our informed lecturing staff. However, to make the most out of Mediasite (and similar technologies) staff need to ensure they are taking an “entire programme” perspective when, in particular, they are preparing content for their online learning environments.
Why might you use Mediasite?
There are a number of reasons why you would record/webcast your lectures. The most common reasons are:
- to support external students by giving them more timely access to lecture content, course updates, feedback and other learning experiences that occur in lectures that are not really portrayed using static approaches (lecture Slides)
- to support students who are unable to come to class due to: family and work commitments, sickness, timetabling clashes, transport difficulties
- to provide an additional learning resource for all students including those with disabilities, learning difficulties, cultural and language differences.
- a requirement to extend the reach of any event to a distance audience
Mediasite recordings/webcasts require no technology training for the presenter . Mediasite captures the presenter in real-time exactly how it happens without any noticeable disruption to the typical students lecture experience.
What about the students’ experiences?
Students who use Mediasite content are generally positive about their experience as they perceive it to be beneficial to their learning. Additionally, students perceive they learn just as well from viewing on-demand lectures as they do from attending the face-to-face lecture.
Students’ reasons for using Mediasite content are similar to that of Staff:
- as a backup for when they can’t attend in person
- while in-class it allows them to focus more intently on the lecture/lecturer
- enables them to pick up things they may have missed in class during the face-to-face lecture
- it assists them in making comprehensive notes and in revising for exams
- enables flexibility to work at their own pace and place of choice
- ability to revisit complex ideas and concepts
Attending lectures as well as using on-line lectures as a study tool may assist in maximising a student’s learning. Importantly, lectures delivered on-line do not necessarily correspond to a decline in face-to-face lecture attendance.
Even though the lecture is usually only one aspect of the entire course, learning activities often depend on an overall understanding of lecture content.
It is good practice to encourage those students that cannot attend lectures to establish a weekly routine for listening and reviewing the captured lectures.
Why not connect captured lectures with your LMS?
Below are some simple strategies to “connect” recorded lectures with your Learning Management System (LMS).
- Utilize discussion forums:
– To gain feedback, link on-line lectures to a STREAM discussion or forum.
- Revisit the lecture:
– Include links to follow-up activities or assignments that require students to disseminate the lecture or perhaps a guest lecturer.
- Provide feedback:
– Invite both internal and externally enrolled students to identify points of confusion or areas of difficulty for addressing at the beginning of the next lecture.
– Alternatively, direct students to the sections of the lecture recordings where these issues were dealt with.
- Alternatives to lectures:
– Pre-empt lectures by providing pre-recorded sessions such as a pre-recorded VIP guest presenters.
– Utilize “class-room” time to explore issues raised in more detail.
As with any learning resource, providing lectures on-line will work best if it is seen by students to be well connected to the activities and experiences that make up the complete learning environment, rather than being just an add-on extra.
Why Webcast (on-demand or live) at all?
e.g. Conference, Seminars, Symposia, Workshops, staff announcements
Supports external students by giving them more timely access to lecture content, course updates, feedback and other content that occur in lectures
Supports students who can’t come to class due to: family and work commitments, sickness, timetabling clashes, transport difficulties
Provides an additional learning resource for all students including those with disabilities, learning difficulties, cultural and language differences
Allows unique content to be re-visited and disseminated later in the classroom or on-line discussion forums
Video Linked Teaching programmes may bridge both time and distance
Capture, archive and reuse University events
Extend the reach of any event to a distance audience
Allows interaction between on-line audiences and presenters through moderated Q&A
Provisions for overflow to additional rooms or desktops
Assist with addressing travel budget constraints
Effective use of on-line learning technologies may require lecturers to modify the way they prepare and deliver their content simultaneously to local and distant attendees
It is suggested that Class attendance may decline but this has so far not been observed
It is suggested that students may become overwhelmed with course content if lectures are provided additional to printed study guides and not integrated well into the over all program
Effective audience interaction requires a moderator in the room to put the questions to the presenter
Could detract from local event attendance if importance of networking activity is not actively promoted as a major attendee benefit
Mediasite at Massey:
Lecture Capture Benefits Noted: