Gone are the days when physical classes were the only means of gaining an education. In today’s technological era, one can gain education with the help of eLearning platforms. The eLearning industry is getting larger every day with teachers and institutions recording their lectures for further repurposing. The recent COVID pandemic saw an increase in demand for educational video platform as the physical classes were suspended. Due to lecture capture benefits, institutions are investing in equipment for video recording.
Live lectures benefits are not only leveraged by the educational institutions. Independent teachers are also recording their live lectures for further use. While the eLearning industry is still growing, the benefits of live lectures and lecture capturing have been completely understood by content providers. Read on to know more about the benefits of classroom recording.
What Does It Mean to Capture a Lecture?
Lecture capture refers to recording classroom lectures for distributing them digitally. Teachers can use cameras or any other technology for recording classroom lectures. It is a broader definition of lecture capture as it also refers to a feature of educational platforms. Whatever the technology is behind lecture capture, its purpose is to distribute the recorded live classroom session.
With lecture capture, institutions/teachers can make the study material more accessible to students. With the rise of remote learning, capturing classroom lectures has become important for educational institutions. There are also some disadvantages of recorded lectures so they cannot replace classroom instruction completely. However, recorded lectures can be used to improve the learning experience together with classroom instruction.
How to Do Lecture Recording?
The steps required for lecture recording are:
Find a Recording Space
You need a recording space for shooting lectures quickly. You can create a mobile video recording setup that can be used for recording classroom lectures. Some institutions also invest in a recording studio to waste less time in prepping up. You need to find the right space so you can create professional learning videos quickly.
You can choose a quiet room/hall with no disturbances from exterior surroundings. People chatting in the background or siren noise will not make your educational video appealing. Before recording lectures, make sure that there is a minimum distance of 3 feet between the camera and lector. If the recording camera is close to the lector, it can create hard shadows which would not be pleasing to viewers.
Set the Recording Stage
Once you have found a perfect space to capture lectures, you need to make sure it is free from any kind of disturbances. Don’t select a room in which the voice echoes for recording your lectures. You need to set your recording stage so it has no audio/video interruptions.
The benefits of video lectures can only be leveraged when your content is professional and original. You can soundproof your recording stage by turning off fans, air conditioners, or other noisy electrical appliances. You can also hand curtains in your room to remove the echoing effect of voice.
Position the Recording Camera
Many teachers use a webcam or a smartphone to record their lectures. However, you can invest in a better camera for recording live lectures like a DSLR or a camcorder. You can also buy a tripod and place your camera across your desk for better visibility. Make sure that your camera lens is at your eye/head level. These little practices will add a professional touch to your educational videos.
Setup for Audio Recording
In an educational video, sound and visual effects go hand in hand. You will have to make sure that the lector is audible to the viewers. For that, you can invest in microphones that offer high audio quality. You can also use a lapel mic or a shotgun mic for ensuring better audio quality in your educational videos.
Set up Your Lighting
Many lecturers feel that natural lighting is best for capturing classroom lectures. However, you can add exterior lighting for improving the visibility of your video lectures. If your video lectures are long then natural lighting is not ideal for you. Natural lighting is subject to change as per the weather conditions and, you might be in a problem. You can block natural lighting with curtains to ensure better visibility of your educational videos.
Benefits of Recorded Lectures in 2021
The benefits/importance of lecture capture are as follows:
Visual Learning Experience
Studies have shown that around 65% of people learn better with visuals. Visuals are supposed to have a greater impact on human minds. However, for a better visual experience, you need to ensure your lecture contains flowcharts, descriptive illustrations, graphs, photos, etc. Teachers cannot draw different types of visuals in a physical classroom but can offer them via an online education platform. Once you have recorded the classroom lecture, you can add engaging visuals during the editing process.
Enhanced Availability
With recorded lectures, you can ensure that students will have access to study materials outside the classroom also. It is difficult to provide the same classroom lecture again just for a few students. With lecture capture, you can ensure that your students can view the same lecture multiple times. Many institutions are introducing the concept of flipped classes and providing students with recorded lectures. In flipped classes, students view the live lecture at home and the classroom time is reserved for discussions and assessments.
Enhanced Student Engagement
One of the main benefits of lectures capture is that it increases student engagement. Many educational video platforms allow students to ask a question to the instructor in between a live lecture. You can also embed a quiz between your video lecture to increase student engagement.
Enhances Two-way communication
Lecture capture can also be used to provide personalized videos to your students. One of the main benefits of lectures online is that it enhances the teacher-student relationship. Online educational platforms use interactive buttons to force two-way communication in online classes.
Better for Backtracking
Recorded lectures can be used for providing remedial classes to weak students. Students can backtrack a classroom lecture and can clear most of their queries. It will save the time of students as well as of teachers in an institution.
Enhanced Accessibility
You can add captions or subtitles to your recorded lectures for better accessibility. You can allow students to control the playback speed based on their preferences. With multiple options, students can choose the right path for learning via recorded lectures.
Active Learning
Recorded lectures can be helpful for students that are missing classes due to various reasons. Interactive features on online educational platforms allow students to interact with the lector. It inculcates an active learning environment among the students.
Better Understanding of Concepts
Students do not need to make notes while listening to the professor in the captured lecture. They know they can always watch it again for clearing any confusion. Students can focus on the concept that is being taught instead of making notes.
Conclusion
The lecture captures pros and cons that are still debated by industry experts. However, you can use a combination of classroom lectures and recorded lectures for a better experience. You can also use an online educational platform for distributing your captured lectures.
