This tied in with requests from academics to broaden the availability of the system. We responded to that need by making a portable installation (on a tablet PC) available for short term loans. As part of the Teaching Room Refurbishment project, new systems were installed into three centrally bookable theatres. This has been expanded again to include the range of options described above.

There has been a technical, legal and educational skills need for this project team. ELU can, and has, been providing the educational input and has endeavoured to fill the skills-gap for both technical and legal team members. IT Services, AV and Room Bookings have all contributed to the project over the last year and now all four groups are represented on the project team.

The code of practice is available here – Q-review code of practice.pdf

You also have the option to record presentations using a desktop or laptop computer.

In both cases this will record the audio, video and capture your presentation (in suitably equiped lecture theatres this may include your slides, visualiser materials, interactive whiteboard or on-screen annotations).

Following a completed recording you will receive an email with a link to an audio mp3, a video mp4 – both for mobile devices, and a link to an ‘echo’ (i.e. recording).

In focus groups, surveys and interviews at QMUL both students and staff who have made use of the system have found it valuable to teaching and learning.
Of the teaching staff who have used Q-Review, 100% would recommend the service to others, with one user stating “Outstanding facility, outstandingly well supported”. Another lecturer commented that “Any form of multi-media that facilitates passing of information from teacher to student is a valuable tool both in learning and teaching” and that “I was quite nervous about doing this at first. Some of my lectures are quite complicated, and I was worried about mistakes that I may make, and also about student attendance. But so far, so good! Students thank me for participating so it is obviously very popular with them.”

For more insights from teaching staff at QMUL you can find case studies and interviews here: http://www.learninginstitute.qmul.ac.uk/elearning/support/qreview/qmul-case-studies/

Students have been overwhelmingly positive in their support of the system.
When asked “do you think that the recording of lectures are helpful to your studies?”, 95% said yes, and were very forthcoming with comments. There were near 500 additional free-text comments on this question which revealed a reasoned and critical awareness of the surrounding issues.

You can read a summary of results from our 2011 survey here: http://www.learninginstitute.qmul.ac.uk/elearning/news-and-events/podcasting-survey-student/

One student summarised the benefits as:

“(a) Can go back and listen to them more than once if you dont understand a point, (b) can listen to them in your own time. (c) can make more thorough notes from them by pausing and playing them. (d) can catch up on any missed lectures. (e) helps to refresh memory during exam time”. Another student commented “I find it difficult to absorb the entire lecture whilst sat taking notes. The recorded lectures have been invaluable to my current high grades”

When used as a simple automated system with no extra workload for teaching staff, it can:

• Aid in effective revision by learners
• Allow note-checking after the lecture
• Promote better use of text books
• Diminish the assumed need for PowerPoint to be posted on the VLE
• Help Non-native English languages speakers
• Help disabled and dyslexic students

For more innovative uses we can suggest scenarios like:

Pre-recording lectures and using the face-to-face time for knowledge building activities. One student suggests that “The podcast version of a lecture should be used to disseminate the basic information – the physical lecture would provide an opportunity to spend more time dealing with more complex parts of the podcast. ”

Lectures can be supported by supplementary materials. For example, one academic uses the software on his own laptop and gives ten minutes of generic feedback recorded at home once a week

You can edit out bite-size ‘chunks’ where a specific concept was covered as part of a full lecture.

“This is really helpful, thank you for taking the time”

“As someone who learns quicker when watching something, as opposed to just reading about it, I found your video very very helpful”

“The teaching method provided online was fantastic!! If only other lecturers would do it too!”

“That it can be played again and again (which) aids in following complicated exercises by repeating it as much as we need”

“I have been thinking to myself all year that recorded lectures would have been useful and why does QM not have them. I support them fully, but not as a substitute for lectures”

“Come join the rest of the world in the 21st century”