Lecture capture: An effective tool for universal instructional design?

Abstract

Student enrolment and instructional accommodation requests are rising in higher education. Universities lack the capacity to meet increasing accommodation needs, thus research in this area is required. In Ontario, new provincial legislation requires that all public institutions, including universities, make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The objective of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is to provide universal access for students with disabilities. The purpose of this case study is to understand the experiences of students regarding the ability of a lecture capture technology to align with the principles of Universal Instructional Design (UID). Data were collected using a mixed-method research design: (a) an online questionnaire, and (b) individual face-to-face interviews. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) literature provides a useful background to explore AODA legislation and universal accessibility vis-à-vis lecture capture technologies. Results indicate that lecture capture can align both with the principles of UID and AODA.

Collaborative Learning of Macroeconomics Through the Lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

“…Instructors implementing UDL principles in higher education coursework also reported that UDL improved their teaching [12], [13], [14], [15], [16]. This is the "How" of learning using UDL.…”

Student Engagement Tracks with Success In-person and Online in a Hybrid-Flexible Course

“…In Canada, it is used at several institutions including the University of Western Ontario, York University, Brock University, the University of Victoria, and Canadore College (C. Huff, personal communication, 23 November, 2021). At McMaster, 91 classrooms are outfitted with Echo360 recording equipment that allow instructors to schedule synchronous livestreams of their lectures and/or capture lectures for later, asynchronous viewing ("Echo360-Lecture Capture and Student Engagement," n.d.; Watt et al, 2014). The recordings can simultaneously capture videos of the instructor and their screen, as well as audio.…”

“…The recordings can simultaneously capture videos of the instructor and their screen, as well as audio. Echo360 automatically transcribes the instructor's microphone audio into a searchable transcript, which can be easily applied as closed captions (Watt et al, 2014). In physical classrooms that do not have Echo360 equipment, or when instructors are teaching from home or another off-campus location, lectures can be broadcasted and/or recorded from an instructor's device using an Echo360 application available for Windows and Mac (Fei et al, 2013).…”

“…Importantly, Echo360 functionalities support key components of the AODA legislation and UDL principles. The platform enables instructors to design an inclusive classroom experience by uploading their slides (making them screen reader-accessible) and providing access to the lecture replays with an automatically generated transcript, which can be used to create closed captions (Watt et al, 2014). These accessibility features benefit all students, not just those who identify with and disclose having a disability.…”

Information technology and learning.

“…While all students may derive a benefit from a repeated viewing of difficult concepts, as noted, there are certain audiences that benefit even more, such as students needing accommodations for disabilities and those who struggle with the language of instruction. The latter group often spends class time mentally translating the instructor's words, doubling the time taken to process new information and much more frequently bumping up against the limits of cognitive load, resulting in note-taking of lesser quality and overall diminished comprehension of the lecture, especially in more subtle nuances (Watt et al, 2014). The increased time-on-task offered by lecture capture, particularly in combination with the ability to pause or even slow down the playback, provides these students with a critical learning aid (Watt et al, 2014).…”