ERIC Number: EJ1084205
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0729-4360
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Enhancing Large-Class Teaching: A Systematic Comparison of Rich-Media Materials
Saunders, F. C.; Hutt, I.
Higher Education Research and Development, v34 n6 p1233-1250 2015
Large cohorts (>200 students) are an ever-increasing presence in the UK higher education (HE) sector. Providing excellent teaching and learning to these large classes is an ongoing challenge for teaching faculty, a challenge intensified when the cohort comprises 85% non-native English speakers. This paper presents the findings of a project to supplement face-to-face lectures on a large campus-based taught MSc programme with a set of rich-media materials. These resources consisted of audio podcasts, audio-narrated slides, short video segments and full-video lecture capture. The aim of the study was to examine student usage of, and preference for, these different rich-media materials. Key findings are that students valued most highly the full-video lecture capture followed by the audio-narrated slides, using the materials primarily to consolidate their understanding and as revision aids. Students also emphasised the central importance of the face-to-face lecture--viewing the rich-media materials as complementary to, rather than as a replacement for the traditional lecture. Nor did the majority of students see the provision of videoed lectures as a reason for non-attendance at lectures. The findings of this study provide confirmatory evidence of the ongoing importance of the traditional lecture in large cohort HE teaching together with an acknowledgement of the benefits that rich-media materials can bring to the student learning experience.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Large Group Instruction, Masters Programs, Multimedia Materials, Comparative Analysis, Graduate Students, Preferences, Student Attitudes, Use Studies, Lecture Method, Questionnaires, Focus Groups, Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (Manchester)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A