Lightboard

The rationale behind the proposed project current hybrid approach relies on lecture capture. For STEM subjects that rely on explaining mathematical concepts or make use of diagrams to complement descriptions, reading from slides is poor practice and leads to extreme lack of engagement. The use of white boards or even visualizers can be difficult if cameras are too far away for accurate capturing of content and/or erode the human interaction between viewers and lecturers. Videos that also include the talking image of the presenter have been shown to be more engaging than tablet/visualizer writing. We propose building a lightboard studio, which will address the aforementioned problems, which is proved to better engage students by providing greater visual connection with the lecturer.

This project will assess the engagement of students with the new delivery method, it will establish best practices of generating engaging, concise videos with limited post-production. It will replace current whiteboard-based and PowerPoint-based lecture videos, whose lengths often exceed the average attention span, while providing the human engagement expected from a typical lecture.

The implementation of such methods requires a dedicated recording room that can house the required equipment, we propose 03AB00 which is currently use for storage only. The technology not only replaces the typical whiteboard, but it allows overlaying computer graphics and/or videos with the lecturer’s writing/diagrams. The studio would allow for any academic to book a time slot to record their material or perform a live screencast. The ability of creating more engaging video content is critical for flipped learning activities, which are ubiquitous in the hybrid teaching approach.

This technology can be deployed university wide. Initially, this tool will be integrated and assessed in modules delivered by the School of Mechanical Engineering Sciences and School of Mathematics and Physics, but will be open to any Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences academics.