Lecture Videos: A learning tool or a bad idea? Recorded classes spark debate
HACKENSACK, N.J. _ Missed class? Catch the rerun.
A number of colleges and universities have begun offering on-demand video of classes, and the use of this technology is expected to grow over the next few years.
Video cameras capture classes, and an electronic tablet substitutes for the blackboard. Students can watch the class on their computers or listen to the audio on their iPods, fast-forwarding or rewinding at will.
Fans say the practice is another learning tool, but others are wary. They fear that attendance and the kind of learning that takes place in real time will suffer.
"It is an unsatisfactory replacement for face-to-face interaction," said James Zimmerman, associate director of the Research Academy for University Learning at Montclair State University.
The academy promotes good teaching, and Zimmerman works with professors to make classes _ even large lecture halls _ more interactive.
"The object is not just to talk at your class," he said. "Any way that you can get feedback during class will maximize learning.
"You can't do that in the recorded medium," Zimmerman said. "Professors can't respond to needs of their audience. You don't know whether your students are understanding the material or engaged in the material."
But others are excited about the technology. Bergen County, N.J., Community College began using it in two classes this year and hopes to double that number next year, said Ed Pittarelli, director of technologies on the Paramus, N.J., campus. School officials are also thinking about using it for student orientation, he said.
Pittarelli said it costs about $5,000 to outfit a classroom with the technology. The videos are an enhancement to the live classes, he said.
The tool is especially helpful at a community college where there is a wide range of students and many of them are juggling work and home responsibilities.
"We saw this as a way of helping a lot of students," Pittarelli said. "They can replay lectures and get themselves on track."
Pittarelli acknowledged that "to some extent there's no replacement for being in class."
He said faculty members using the technology are also able to measure actual attendance. "It really helps for incidental absences, but our primary concern was to give students another tool to keep up with classwork."
"We haven't had a problem with attendance diminishing," said Joan Cook, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the County College of Morris, N.J., where one room is equipped with the technology.
Cook said it can be particularly valuable for some students with learning difficulties.
"There's a whole host of students who can benefit if they can revisit aspects of class that confused them," Cook said. "It can make the difference between success and failure."
Pittarelli said the technology suits today's students. "Today the kids are so tech-savvy. Instead of watching You Tube, they can watch a chemistry class."
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