Technology has reached such levels of sophistication that today educational institutes in order to enrich the learning journeys of students have started deploying new and improved ways of imparting education. Recorded lectures are becoming a rapidly growing phenomenon that allows instructors to record what happens in their classrooms and make it available digitally. However, what still remains under wraps is whether recorded lectures are fast becoming an intrinsic part or does the practice of recording lecture pose too many technical and pedagogical challenges?
During the crucial time before exams, Athira missed out on important revision classes due to medical emergency at home. There was so much information to absorb and so little time that she end up downloading the recorded lectures that helped her gain access to what all went in the classroom and she did not miss on important information. She could visit the topic she was less confident about, repeat and pause as many times as required and learned at her own convenience.
It cannot be gain said that each subject comprises of some very complex topics that covers new terminology and complicated material which are not easy to understand. It is where recorded lectures come to rescue as you can listen to the lecture any number of times and listen to topics that could not be comprehended in the first time. Moreover, listening to the lecture again and again help retain more effectively and determine which information is most important, thereby offering new insights and information that cannot be ascertained otherwise.
It is true that recorded lectures have redefined the way students learn by offering a more learner-centred approach, thereby providing them with tremendous flexibility. Recorded lectures are said to boost student efficiency and improve comprehension as students can rewind and go over tough concepts multiple times, can pause to think over the questions that crop up during the lecture, simultaneously refer to the classroom notes and maintain better focus. Further, recorded lectures are ideal for students learning from distant mode breaking all geographical barriers, part-time or international students as it gives them more flexibility to watch from anytime and anywhere.
Recorded lectures also prove to be particularly useful to students with diverse needs such as students with physical and learning disabilities and from non English speaking background. It offers them opportunity to seamlessly access lectures that enhance their understanding of different concepts by adopting a learning style that best meet their needs, thereby increasing their potential to retain and absorb information. Moreover, there are times when lectures go very quickly and it is difficult to grasp all the information in one go. Listening to recorded lectures play a key role here as it benefits not only the students but also teachers who can ascertain how meaningful and impactful their lecture was and what can be done to improve it.
That said, one cannot completely shrug off the flip side of recorded lectures. Often students use recorded lectures to serve replacement for live lectures and cut classes in favour of viewing them. This disrupts the attendance and may encourage procrastination. Moreover, not all subjects are suitable for recording and fail to provide any kind of face to face interaction. Technical difficulties such as power supply, worn out battery etc are an added complication.
Despite the challenges, one cannot undermine the importance of recorded lectures. Blending recorded lectures with conventional teaching methods can offer tremendous breakthrough in the way students learn. They can go through the recorded lectures before coming for the next class which can help them absorb better. This form of “flipped class model” can help capitalise on the advantages of recorded lectures and the benefits of conventional classrooms at the same time, thereby providing a stimulating and engaging learning environment and experiences for students.
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