UQ buys lecture recording system

The University of Queensland has purchased a $550,000 system for recording lecturers in large, centrally-controlled teaching rooms.

Senior Manager Academic Administration Phil Taylor said that following an extensive review process, the Lectopia lecture recording system was selected as being optimal for the University.

The system is being purchased through funding provided from the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund allocation, awarded to the University by the Commonwealth Government last year.

The system will be implemented in phases, with the initial installation being in centrally-controlled lecture theatres with a capacity of 200 students or more (currently 10 teaching rooms) in time for the commencement of semester one, 2008. Following a review, consideration will be given to rolling out the system to additional teaching rooms.

Mr Taylor said the system would allow academic staff to record lectures by either audio and screen content or audio and video. Lecturers can elect to have their lectures recorded and students will be able to access these recordings via BlackBoard for revision and review.

As part of the pilot study the equipment is being installed in selected large lecture theatres at the St Lucia campus and volunteers are being sought to have their lectures recorded during the last four weeks of this semester (October 1 – 26). The purpose of this is to enable the system to be tested under real teaching conditions and any problems identified and resolved prior to any wider rollout of the system to other teaching spaces.

Three theatres will initially be fitted out for the test – Steele 206, Goddard 139 and Hawken T203.

Further details are available from Derek Powell, Manager, Teaching Technology Support ITS, telephone
3365 1027, email: d.powell@its.uq.edu.au and Joanne Connah
Acting Manager, Academic Facilities, Student and Administrative Services Division, telephone 3365 1989 email j.connah@admin.uq.edu.au.