LMS - Recorded Sessions

In my earlier post, I outlined areas for discussion in regards to using an LMS. I thought I would move the topic of discussion to the top to highlight what we are discussing and what is left to discuss. For today, I want to discuss the use of Recorded Sessions.

• Recording Live Sessions for review
• Progress Reporting
• Course Content Delivery
• Homework Assignments
• Group Projects
• Gradebook use and distribution
• Direct Parent Communications
• Enhancing Teacher Preparation Skills (and Instructional Design)
• Delivering Media
• Assessments
• Community Building
• Reaching Non-Participants (from your class)
• Assisting with Absenteeism
  
• Substitute Teacher Prep (thanks Dr. Karl Kapp

I thought this would be a great place to start seeing that we just finished a holiday here in US (Thanksgiving). All of us need a vacation, including students. But, we all know that jumping back into school again after a long break can be tough for some students. I should also say, I am not talking about assigning homework over break. That is a subject much different than providing learning resources for students to use as needed.

Imagine the last class before a long vacation. We work very hard as teachers to keep the students engaged. But, is there more we can do?

Using only a portion of a plan period and one of many Virtual Classroom tools (Wimba, Elluminate, or Bb's proprietary tool) available within most LMS's, teachers can record, in their own voice, a presentation highlighting the class content. Using Elluminate Live, a building block for Blackboard, a teacher can quickly setup a session, record the session and distribute the link to everyone in their class. The session can include voice, video, uploaded PowerPoint presentations, web tours, and various other shared applications. Teachers can even embed quizzes and send out files to all who view the session (within the recording).

The benefit to the student is that before returning to class, simply reviewing the recorded session can reinforce the live session and serve as a way for them to recall the content accurately (vs counting on them remembering the class or using just their notes).

As I write this I can think of several questions teachers may ask regarding recorded sessions including:

• Do I make reviewing the session an assignment?
• Do I offer credit for reviewing the sessions?
• How do I know the time I put into this is worth the effort?
• How do I know if the students gain anything from the recorded session?
• Do I track how many students view the recorded session?
• I think this activity is a great idea, how can I promote the use of the recorded sessions?
• How often should I recorded sessions?
• Should I record my live class presentations?
  

This topic alone could take some considerable time to fully discuss here! So, I would love to hear your thoughts.

In summary, I do believe recorded sessions can be incredibly powerful for students. As I am writting I am thinking this would be a great place to insert some data and research. So, check back over this week. I will be adding some value to this post with insights from others.