Advantages of This Course Design
(SLM = Standard Lecture Method, DVLM = Digital Video Lecture Method)
Enrolment Size & Economics
The enrollment for courses, such as the graduate group theory course in Physics, is usually very small as the number of students is limited and because this course is often seen as an optional topic. So it is not economical to offer the course very often by the SLM. But once the DVDs are made, the DVLM will allow the course to be offered every semester and even potentially in the summer. This is very economical for the use of an instructors time and effort and at the same time extends the offerings to students for valid courses.
Scheduling Conflicts for Students
Students not only have to take a variety of other courses, they also have to teach labs and often go to other countries to other research labs. Often students have jobs and conflicting work schedules. These tasks present conflicts in scheduling that often prevent a student from taking a class via SLM. With the DVLM, the student can take the course and attend all lectures without conflict no matter what the students schedule might be. This increases the opportunity for the class to be taken, the education of the students in the course, and reduces the risk of missing another class.
Course Quality
All faculty have time and task pressures that often prevent optimal preparation with the SLM. But with the DVLM, faculty can make the recording at a time that is more convenient to deliver the lecture thus improving the quality of the lecture. Furthermore, as an instructor lectures via the DVLM, they can stop the tape and think about a better way to present a concept, an improved derivation, or to find a reference in a text or other book to include in the lecture and thus in general to execute better delivery.
Lecture Time
With SLM a faculty teaches in units of 50 minutes. But a sizable portion of the time is wasted: (a) we wait for students to arrive, (b) repeat for those who are late, could not hear or see the material, or did not arrive on time, (c) repeat material from the last class, (d) discuss class schedules, vacation days, times tests are to be given, homework assignments, and other matters, (e) repeat the material extensively for those whose attention was not adequate, and answer questions and (f) spend time getting equipment, demonstrations, chalk/markers, overhead viewers, and other systems to properly operate. However with the DVLM, a lecturer can give the core and essence of the material aware that the student can rewind and view the material many times. I personally have found that I can cover the same material that I normally cover in 50 minutes by the SLM in only 25 minutes by the DVLM.
Class Notes and Legibility
Students spend a large portion of their time transcribing notes from the board or from verbal presentations via the SLM. It is critical that the student listen during the lecture time and only make occasional notes but critical listening is not possible if rote transcription is being done. But with the DVLM the EXACT notes presented are given to the student in a printed book form PRIOR to class. This way, the student can write their own comments and insights beside the fully printed class material for their own use. Furthermore, there is never a problem with legibility or missed material with the DVLM.
Handicapped Students
The SLM is often very difficult for handicapped students: Students with visual handicaps often cannot be in a class position where they can see the material presented. Those with hearing difficulties often misunderstand or cannot hear the lecture and are embarrassed to ask for material to be repeated. Less ambulatory students often cannot get to the class or arrive late in coming from a distant class in another subject. Some students with manual difficulties have trouble taking notes. Most lecturers have had students in each of these categories and felt helpless to assist with these problems. In fact the simple handicap of limited finances often results in shared transportation or a nonfunctional car, and a student simply cannot get to class. Even weather can prevent students from attending class. The DVLM solves each of these difficulties.
Distance Learning
More and more we realize that education is a lifetime journey. But the obligations of maintaining a job, or raising a family, often occur in a place too far from the locations where courses are taught by the SLM to allow any possibility for the student to take the course. The DVLM corrects this problem because the entire course can be transmitted to the student to view in their homes with a standard TV and DVD player at a time that is convenient. It is even possible to broadcast the DVLM course on closed channels used for education thus also allowing classes in advanced topics to be taken by small groups at other colleges and universities that could not otherwise ever offer such a course. The internet with sufficiently large bandwidth allows access for any student anytime anywhere.
Refresher Courses
The SLM is not amenable to allowing other faculty and professionals to upgrade their knowledge base. It is too difficult for active professionals to break their schedules to attend a class and often they wish to speed through material at a faster pace or eliminate certain material altogether which is difficult with SLM. However, the DVLM allows a faculty member or other professional in a related discipline to refresh their knowledge outside their core field by looking at the tapes at a pace and at a time and location that fits with their needs and their schedules. This ability is enhanced by having all notes printed in bound form and also posted on the associated web site with cross references to the DVD number. This lets the professional target exactly the material that they want to review.
Linear verses Nonlinear Learning - Supplementary and Extended Material
The SLM is a linear process of one defined lecture after another. This forces the student into lockstep learning that is often too slow or too fast or too divergent from their needs. The DVLM allows the lecturer to add supplementary material lectures – both remedial and advanced topics. This is even more important for an advanced graduate course because students want to concentrate on one or another area that is more pertinent to their research or thesis area. Students can speed along where they have greater knowledge and ability without being bored and can extensively repeat both core and supplementary material in areas which they find difficult without being embarrassed.
Course Improvement and Expansion Over Time
The SLM does not easily support improved presentations. But with the DVLM one can capture the best presentations forever and replace those lectures that were lacking in some way. The effort of the lecturer is utilized with the DVLM in adding new and richer material, and constantly expanding the course with new lectures and topics. A small area in one course could become the offshoot for an entire course. For example, I plan to eventually expand some domains of two or three lectures into a full course. Thus lectures can grow fractally in different directions allowing the student to pursue a richer diversity in knowledge and likewise allowing the lecturer to capture their presentations and thus ‘clone’ their best presentations.
Internet Presentation of the Course with Computer Storage
Modern advances in computer storage size, Internet bandwidth, and computer program capability (especially audio and video software) have now achieved capabilities for the delivery of such a course as the DVLM that we have been describing. One hour of video requires about 5 GB, the equivalent of half of a DVD so a one semester course of 45 half hour lectures and 45 supplemental lectures require about 250 GB and the bandwidth is now available via Internet. New software allows us to edit the 5 GB lecture on a standard PC
Disadvantages
The DVLM requires very extensive work and preparation for a faculty member to make the video tapes and lecture notes – far more so than simply delivering the material via the SLM. Also the DVLM can be very intimidating to the lecturer as their lecture is captured for other faculty and everyone else to criticize for any error or shortcoming. We are all accustomed to extremely well rehearsed NOVA and other commercial presentations that are executed with large budgets, entire crews for development of visuals and scripts, and elaborate studios with expensive equipment for their creation. This can make the meager attempts of a lone faculty member appear very inadequate.