Recording Lectures, Streaming, Downloading, Podcasting, Vodcasting, and Webcasting

Abstract

There can be a range of reasons to record lectures or presentations, from the creation of resources to meeting the needs of distant students. Of course recordings are one-way. The information in them flows from the recorded file to students and student interaction with recordings is generally limited to interacting with the controls of the player, that is, they can pause, stop, and replay the recording in part or in its entirety. It can be argued that this interaction adds another level of access to educational presentations. While this low level of interaction can have positive educational outcomes it cannot be equated with interactions between students and teachers. Clearly the person-to-person interactions have the potential for far greater educational outcomes ranging from the answering of questions to the exploration and extension of the subject area. In cases where students are distant from teachers and interact with recorded resources other technologies and techniques are need to provide viable two-way communications channels between them. All learning technologies impose on teaching and learning activities and recordings of presentations are no exception. It is argued that recordings by themselves seldom, if ever, are sufficient for effective and efficient learning in higher education. However, it is suggested that recordings when used in conjunction with other learning technologies and techniques can be a fundamental part of the learning experience.