By Emma Cripps, eLearning Coordinator in the Graduate School, and Rama Hilouneh, elected Learning Experience Officer at the Students’ Union.

Content capture, as defined by the University of Portsmouth Content Capture Policy, is “the digital production/capture of… content for the purposes of enhancing learning and teaching practices…”. 

Whilst to many, this may be in the form of a recording of some, or all, of their taught sessions, to others it could be the production of a written or audio summary, a how-to guide, or a summary of points made by students during the session. There are many options for capturing what takes place during the variety of taught sessions we offer our students, but what the Content Capture Policy ensures is that all students have access to learning from these sessions, whether they were physically able to attend or not. While the Content Capture Policy was developed before the coronavirus pandemic, it has become particularly relevant as we prepare for a blended and connected approach for Teaching Block 1 in the new academic year.

Through various consultation and feedback mechanisms with both staff and students across the University, the Content Capture Policy, which was recently considered and approved by the Academic Council and will now be implemented, is the result of over two years worth of discussion, revision and ultimately, an understanding that not all taught sessions in their entirety are suitable for recording. However, our diverse student population are asking for a mechanism that allows them to engage with taught sessions after they have taken place, whether that be to revisit, revise, or experience it for the first time. 

Rama Hilouneh, elected Learning Experience Officer at the Students’ Union (UPSU), and member of the Content Capture working group, has contributed to the Content Capture Policy, and long-term project, which originally arose from a UPSU elected officers manifesto point. “The working group, created by Dr Harriet Dunbar-Morris, has included the Students’ Union through each step, and actively listened to our input. This is particularly important, where the elected officers have changed over a number of years, yet are still included in this long- term project. From a student perspective, the world has become that much more technology-driven and information is just a click away. Yet, at times as an institution we have fallen behind in accommodating what this new generation of students expect from us, with inconsistencies in access to learning material within, and across, courses. 

“Yes, the presence of students in a lecture brings about a whole different learning experience with the opportunity to engage and ask questions as you receive the taught lesson. However, with the number of students entering higher education not only increasing, but also diversifying, the ‘type’ of student we attract has changed. University is no longer a place for academia alone, but an experience to advance a wide range of developmental skills and extracurricular activities. In addition, the majority of students work part time jobs, with some holding caring responsibilities, living a distance away from university or taking care of younger children and upholding a family. This begs the question as to what true engagement is in the age of technology. Regardless of the student’s circumstances, staff are able to provide resources and support through essential content online, and improve the overall student experience. This is why I view the Content Capture Policy as a step forward for us as an educational institution.”

For students, the ability to review material after a live session has taken place is extremely valuable. A survey carried out by the University, in partnership with the Students’ Union in 2018, found that over 85% of the students who responded use captured content, such as recordings, for revision, and recapping or revisiting complex concepts. There is also evidence within the research literature of the benefits students gain from revisiting taught sessions, including being able to review complex material, create detailed notes, and support the completion of assignments. 

There is of course diversity in how students use captured content, and staff within the University have raised concerns over the impact capture may have on attendance and engagement at taught sessions, something which is discussed at length within the research literature. Whilst there is evidence that the introduction of lecture capture can have a negative impact on attendance, there is also evidence that there is little impact, or that this impact is inconsistent, and other variables such as individual levels of motivation, and other academic pressures influence a student’s decision on whether to attend a lecture. 

The aim of content capture within the University is not to replace live-taught sessions, but to supplement them, something which will need to be communicated with students in order to help them understand that attendance and engagement at timetabled sessions is still important. The Content Capture Policy also acknowledges that “not all teaching styles nor all formal teaching sessions are suitable for recording”, giving staff a choice in how they capture and share the core content of a taught session. It is important to remember though that the core content of every formal teaching event that takes place needs to be captured, and some of the different ways staff have already been doing this will be shared in future blog posts and support materials. As our students try to overcome new and perhaps unexpected challenges, such as additional caring responsibilities, or inequalities in access to equipment or the internet, the capturing of content from formal teaching events is going to be key to ensure that no student is disadvantaged.

As a University, the ability to capture and record content has been available for many years, with staff already using creative ways to share material from taught sessions. Whilst there may be some additional work required to develop skills when choosing to use technology to capture content, many staff have already developed these skills, especially over the last few months in response to the challenges faced with teaching in lockdown. Training and continued support will be provided for staff as part of the Learning and Teaching Opening Campus Workstream, and we will be sharing some of the creative ways in which staff have been capturing content from their teaching sessions, including at the TEL Tales: Blended Learning Festival from the 13th to 17th July 2020.

  The Content Capture Working Group is aware, and understands the concerns raised by staff in relation to the new policy. Whilst this post can’t address all of these, it is hoped that the continued discussions, training and support around this policy will allow staff to make informed decisions, and allow all our students to benefit from taught sessions, even after they have taken place. Look out for future blog posts where we will be sharing more resources, guidance and support in relation to content capture.

Credit Image: Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay