Recorded lectures in multi-campus education: a cross-case analysis

Abstract

These days, universities all over the world offer lecture capturing to provide recorded lectures as a supplement tool for their on-campus students or as a substitute for live lectures for distant students. In this study, through quantitative research and by undertaking the uses and gratification theory, we examine students’ perceptions about recorded lectures in the context of two multi-campus courses offered in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in the Fall semester 2018. Data for this research was collected by using an online questionnaire sent to students through the Learning Management System (LMS). Our results show that students mainly used recorded lectures to make up for missed classes, for understand the live lectures better and for reviewing the course content before the exam. Students’ use of recorded lectures seems to vary - in terms of amount, time and reason for watching - based on the course content and their location. Also, the results show that the course setting can influence the way students use recorded lectures. We conclude that recorded lectures are useful for both main and remote campus students and that watching recorded lectures can decrease their level of anxiety about the course and exam.