[LINK] ANU Lecture Recordings

[Tom Worthington]

At 12:11 PM 12/03/2008, Pilcher, Fred wrote:
>... Long story short, there is provision for the files to be made 
>available as downloadable MP3s, but the lecturer has to specifically 
>request that the functionality be turned on. ...

Yes.  An ANU student can have the lectures delivered automatically as 
podcasts, if the lecturer has switched on this option. I found the 
ANU's campus WiFi works with the iPod touch, so students should be 
able to use that, or similar device, to get the lectures 
automatically and wirelessly.

The system is called the "Digital Lecture Delivery" Service (DLD) 
<http://sts.anu.edu.au/dld/dld_web.html>. The lecturer has to 
remember to turn on the system which is built into the lecture 
theatre and check it has the right course code from the online 
timetable. At the end of the lecture when they press the stop button, 
the lecture is made available online. However, an option also has to 
have been set in the course management system to permit students to 
hear audio recordings.

The system is an improvement on having to record onto removable media 
and hand that into a central administrative area for distribution. 
But having to download each lecture is a tedious, so at an ANU 
seminar I suggested that lectures be available as a Podcast 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/technology/it/podcastingpolicy.shtml#feeds>. 
The DLD staff were in the front row and shortly after that a podcast 
option was added to the DLD system 
<http://information.anu.edu.au/daisy/infoservices/1645/603/782.html>. 
This way the student needs only register once at the beginning of the 
semester and they get all the lectures automatically.

>I recommend to the good folks at the ANU that that be the default 
>rather than optional ...

Placing course materials online is a controversial issue for 
academics. There is the fear that the students will stop coming to 
lectures and that the material will be misused by others. I have 
found my material plagiarized by students at several universities 
around the world.

I have used the DLD system for several years and have gotten over the 
worry of students not turning up for lectures. There have been a few 
occasions when I have had to turn off the recording to say something 
sensitive. Apart from students who are unable to get to a lecture, 
the system seems to be useful for those where English is a second language.

There are reports that the Young Liberals are asking students to 
record lecturers who are considered politically biased (that is 
non-Liberal) so action can be taken against them: ("Young Libs 
campaign to out biased dons", Jill Rowbotham, The Australian, March 
12, 2008 
<http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23359239-12332,00.html>). 
Given the current political climate in Australia, lecturers have 
little to fear from this, but some from overseas risk imprisonment or 
execution for expressing political views in Australia.

One worry I have is that some students, and university 
administration, will think that all you have to do is record lecture, 
put the notes online and you have an e-learning course. The students 
will think they need not turn up, and the administrators will think 
they can save money by not paying for lectures or classrooms. It 
takes a lot of work to prepare an online course and to support online 
students; plus e-learning doesn't suit every student or 
topic  <http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/labels/e-Learning.html>. ANU has 
a new  Flexible Learning Project to help 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2008/02/anu-flexible-learning-project.html>.

>The other recommendation I make is that they use HTML for things 
>that HTML  ...

The problem isn't so much with the digital lecture recordings, but 
the course management system used to access them. A new one is being 
selected to replace it 
http://information.anu.edu.au/daisy/infoservices/1647/version/1/part/4/data/LMS_Enhancement_process.pdf?branch=main&language=default>. 
The requirements include accessibility 
<http://information.anu.edu.au/daisy/infoservices/1648/version/1/part/4/data/LMS>.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU