Dive Brief:
- The University of Central Florida has recently garnered attention for its large introductory courses that enroll several times more students than actually fit in the classrooms, leaving some with live-streamed lectures as their only option.
- Inside Higher Ed reports that students watching remotely can still ask questions of faculty in real-time and see any multimedia elements of the lecture on their screens.
- Some students welcome the flexibility, though critics argue the remote learning experience is a sub-par product being offered for the same price that all residential students pay.
Dive Insight:
The technology for live-streaming got its start in the more simple lecture-capture, which allows institutions to post videos of lectures online for student use whenever they want them. Inside Higher Ed reports lecture-capture companies are seeing live-streaming as a growing trend among their clients, but still a less common request than recording lectures for online posting. Like many other institutions, UCF class attendance at lectures drops after the first couple of weeks, meaning the university’s overstretched classrooms can often meet demand for seats later in the term. Other schools considering such designs must think about how their students will respond to blended learning environments, especially if they’re not fully optional.