University of Ottawa

Research by the University of Ottawa shows that majority of students are satisfied with lecture capture and agree that it makes it easier for them to learn

Technology usage in today’s classroom is at an all-time high – but often, there isn’t an accurate way to measure the outcomes of using it. This promoted Jovan Groen, Acting Director for Centre for University Teaching at the University of Ottawa, to analyze how students use technology differently and its overall impact on learning.

“We wanted to know how students were using and integrating technology into their learning processes,” said Groen. “We had some instructors experimenting with flipped classes and how they were using lecture capture differently than when teaching in the traditional lecture format. I was curious about attendance because it’s been a popular theme. We wanted to see how this impacted our students and institution.”

Groen used Echo360 lecture capture technology in the course he taught, which focused on theory and practice of undergraduate teaching. “Not only was there an advantage for me as the facilitator of the participants in the course, but I also wanted to showcase this technology to them – given the course was about teaching and learning as well,” said Groen. “We were looking at its potential. We were talking about its use in terms of flipped classes, blended classes, and the difference between the two.”

Using this lecture capture experience to identify and investigate how students use technology differently depending upon the characteristics of deep and surface learners, Groen and his research group focused their research on three main elements: student use, instructor perception, and the association of deep and surface learning.

The findings show that lecture capture technology is being used by students to enhance the learning experience. According to Groen’s research published in The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Volume 7, Issue 1), the majority of students (63%) are satisfied with lecture capture, and 75% of students indicated that it facilitated their learning. Other benefits of using Echo360’s lecture capture technology include increased student confidence and better performance in the classroom.

Increased Student Confidence and Grades

“When we were correlating grades from the registrar with data regarding student usage, the students who were using the system the most weren’t the highest achieving students,” said Groen. “If we were to draw a bell curve, for a course section with Echo360 versus without, you would have the right tail of that bell curve at the same place for high achieving students. But, the left tail of that curve would be skewed further to the left if it were without Echo360.”

Ultimately, the study found lower students were ushered up a half grade to full grade because they gained confidence by utilizing the lecture capture services. These students were most likely not able to attend every single class because they have a family or have to also work a job; however, with Echo360 the students had additional support which allowed them to prepare for class and stay on target with the course.

Groen states that he was ultimately surprised by the impact that the Echo360 technology had on the lower achieving students. “I kind of assumed that the higher achieving students would have started using this as an extra support. But, they had already mastered a series of study habits that ensured their success,” said Groen. He went on to say that surface learners viewed the lecture capture videos more times than deep learners, and surface learners were inversely correlated with their grade.

Accommodations for All Learners

Accommodation is also a huge factor at the University of Ottawa. The institution strives to accommodate all students, no matter what their learning style or circumstances may be. Groen believes that the lecture capture was an invaluable source for students where English is a second language because these individuals had an opportunity to revisit the lesson and gain a deeper understanding for what was being taught. Not only could they review their notes, but they could make additional notes after re-experiencing the lecture.

Even though the recording of lectures for the purposes of content review, accommodation, and distance education has existed for over a decade, many institutions are only now beginning to invest in the comprehensive abilities that lecture capture systems, like Echo360, provide. Students are able to receive a personalized lecture outside of the classroom, which enables students to feel more connected and have a better understanding on topics that may have originally presented concern.

24/7 Access to Content

Groen’s studies and writings highlight how lecture capture is a very useful tool when it comes to reviewing course materials. He came across instances where students mentioned its usefulness in situations where the professor spoke too quickly, where the language of the instruction was not the student’s or professor’s native language, or where the professor went through too much content in one class session.

Data-Driven Insights

Groen believes the quality of education programs can be greatly affected by using insights provided by the learning analytics that tools like Echo360 provide. He also believes that aligning the data in useful and productive ways could greatly impact the retention and quality of student learning. These results can provide insights to inform remediation efforts of professors in real time, rather than getting through an entire semester without offering up opportunities for assistance. The University of Ottawa recognizes that lecture capture provides a vast amount of data for improvement.

Contact Echo 360 for more information and to discover the opportunities that lecture capture provides.

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