Lecture Notes on the Web

This page discusses the issues of placing lecture notes for traditional face-to-face classes online and how it may or may not affect attendance.

The Best Choice .... according to the experts

Common Misconceptions

"Let me get this straight. You're putting all the lectures on the Web.
I can read them from my apartment. You expect me to get on a bus even
if it's raining and come to class to watch you write your lecture on the
board" (Unidentified student, no date)

"These are text versions of the PowerPoint Slides presented during the
course. Be forewarned, they are not a substitute for class attendance.
They are meant to be an outline not a substitute for good notes" (University of Florida Class
lecture notes, no date.)

Other Approaches

Smith (2004) – "When [class] periods last longer than 30 minutes, studies generally agree that [student's] reviewing the instructor's notes led to greater achievement than just reviewing [their own] personal notes."

Everson (2005) – "The lecture notes I create and post online for students often are based on the contents of group discussions. Rather than posting lecture notes at the beginning of each week, I wait until group discussions end and post lecture notes at the end of the week. This gives students an opportunity to learn material on their own and discuss it with one another"

Rationale

• Placing lecture notes online can benefit the student.
• You should make certain that being in class has added value or students may choose to read only the lecture notes.

Basic Information

Potential Benefits

• A bare outline can show the overall structure of the topics, but allows students to fill in their own details.
• Allows students to get better views of digital images or charts used in presentations.
• Avoid need to make multiple copies for students who "missed class" or "lose the handout."
• Notes can include discussion summaries (you can rotate students as note takers or put your own summary online)
• Podcasts or Taped Lecture - Students can review the audio or video if they failed to understand a concept the first time.
• Students can increase comprehension by comparing their own notes to those from the instructor (Smith 2004)

Avoiding A Drop in Attendance

If you wish to place lecture notes online, but not discourage students from attending, the following strategies can be used depending on your course structure.

• Provide the outline only, but not the complete details of your presentation
  
  (Note: Most typical Powerpoint and Word lecture files are structured this way)
• Clarify how lecture notes differ from the actual class session.
• Include interactive activities within your class that won't be completely available in your notes.
• Encourage students to ask questions and discuss content during the class session as part of the "added value" for attendance.
• Post your notes after the original lecture.

References

August, Ray (2001) Animating Web lectures with agent technology.
Retrieved May 14, 2003 from
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/lessons/lesfeb01.htm

Blackboard, Inc. (2000) Educational Benefits of Online Learning
Retrieved 14 Dec 2006 from
http://www.uth.tmc.edu/med/administration/edu_programs/ep/blackboard/text/Online_Learning_Benefits.pdf

Bristol Biomedical Image Archive (2002) Putting videoed lectures on the Web.
Retrieved May 14, 2003 from
http://www.brisbio.ac.uk/bblt/video.html

Everson, Michelle (2006) "Group Discussion in Online Statistics Courses" in eLearn Magazine.
Retrieved 14 Dec 2006 from
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=case_studies&article=35-1

Hall, Delbert L. (1999). Putting "Real" lectures on the Web from the Proceedings of the 1999 Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference (Mid-South Instructonal Technology Conference Web Site)
Retrieved May 14, 2003 from:
http://www.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proceed99/hall.htm

Smith, James A. (2005) "Maximizing Student Learning through Effective Note-Giving" in Teaching Concerns (University of Virginia Teaching Resource Center)
Retrieved 14 Dec 2006 from:
http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_2005/TC_Spring_2005_Smith.htm

University of Florida (no date) Computers and Modern Society: Class lectures notes.
Retrieved May 14, 2003 from University of Florida Web site: http://grove.ufl.edu/~u3063bnk/lectures-text/