Spotlight
Classroom Rewind
| USF News
Classroom Capture allows students to review what was covered in class.
Photo by Aimee Blodgett | USF News
More than 1,700 students were able to revisit classes last semester as part of a pilot project to support student success at USF.
Called "Classroom Capture," the service fits perfectly in a world of countless apps, podcasts and internet services made available for 24/7 access from all kinds of devices — mobile or otherwise.
Eleven faculty members took part in the trial, recording 10 lectures each. The lectures were available to download online — audio only, or audio with some visual content such as Powerpoint presentations and graphs.
The majority of students and faculty using the service reported satisfaction.
Umar Ahmed, a freshman in Professor Jane Noll's psychology class, used Classroom Capture "four or five times" throughout the semester, "whether it was related to studying or trying to catch up on a day I missed," he says. "I would listen to a lecture I attended before a test and fast forward to parts that I wasn't too familiar with. It helped with understanding because it came from Professor Noll, who is excellent at explaining."
Jane Noll, director of introductory psychology and coordinator of undergraduate affairs, took part in the pilot project.
Photo by Aimee Blodgett | USF News
Noll, director of introductory psychology and coordinator of undergraduate affairs, says the new technology is "easy to use, not intrusive and doesn't change at all what I do." Neither did it change attendance, something she worried about at first.
"Our commitment to student success dictated that we add this tool to our collection of services that support ways to deliver and retain knowledge," says former College of Education Dean Colleen S. Kennedy. "This is an important enhancement that has strong research behind it."
Classroom Capture already is being used at universities across the country. Up to this point, USF has used lecture capture technology to support special projects. This is the first time it's being used on this scale at the university.
The new technology is just in time for today's students who often choose a college based on being able to plug into the most and best computer-based offerings.