3 Things You Should Know About Lecture Capture

Laure Perrier, Academic and Collaborative Technology Liaison, CTSI

Number 1
Lecture capture is an umbrella term describing any technology that lets instructors digitally record their classroom activity (using audio and/or video, screen capture, or PowerPoint slides) and make those recordings available to students. The University of Toronto has licensed two lecture capture products for use by faculty and staff. The two products are TechSmith Relay and Echo360. Wondering which product suits your needs? Read more here: portalinfo.utoronto.ca/lecturecapture

Number 2
Lecture capture systems include a suite of software applications that typically consist of items such as a camera and a microphone. Pushing a single button is enough to activate systems like TechSmith Relay or Echo360 Personal Capture. Both of these lecture capture products record audio and the screen on your computer using the webcam. Recordings can be viewed on the Web, or on MP3 players and portable video devices using compatible formats. Echo360 can also be found installed in classrooms on the University of Toronto campus (Echo360 on Teaching Stations) or purchased by individual Departments (Echo360 SafeCapture HD). Echo 360 on Teaching Stations provides the ability to pre-schedule automatic recording of lectures or presentations. Echo360 SafeCapture HD allows for in-class recording, as well as the ability to host live webcasts.

Number 3
Lecture capture systems offer important benefits including an alternative for when students miss class. It works well when demonstrating a difficult concept, explaining a complicated graph or chart, or providing a step-by-step guide of a complex procedure. How else can lecture capture benefit students? Students can re-examine materials at their own pace, review for exams, identify missed items in classroom notes, and learn at their own speed. By archiving course materials through lecture capture systems, it allows for repeated viewings, permits close examination of steps, and accommodates stopping and starting to ensure nothing is missed.