Staff and student views of lecture capture: a qualitative study

Many universities now use lecture capture. We used focus groups to investigate perceptions of lectures and their capture in staff (N = 8) and students (N = 17). We found that staff and students held different views of lectures and this impacted on their perceptions of lecture capture. Our findings confirmed a range of previously identified uses of lecture capture and additionally demonstrated its use to model expert behaviour. Furthermore, we report here that students felt lecture capture reduced anxiety, particularly for those with disabilities, indicating that lecture capture may be a useful tool in creating an environment that supports mental wellbeing. Despite this potential value of lecture capture, it was still perceived to have some negative impact on the live lecture; reducing the interaction with students and prevent staff using anecdotes and humour in their teaching, which could reduce the value of the lecture capture

Staff and students perception of lecture capture

Many universities use lecture capture to record live lectures and make them available online, although this practice is not without controversy. We used an online survey to investigate perceptions of lectures and their capture in staff (N = 95) and students (N = 522). We found that they valued lectures and perceived capture differently, despite similar views on the type of learning lectures best support. Students were more positive about capture, utilising the online platform effectively. Exact use differed depending on whether students were substituting or supplementing attendance. Use of lecture capture was predicted by several factors including: demand of live lectures, attendance, and performance. Student attendance ratings were predicted by the availability of online resources and difficulty in getting to lectures, whilst staff felt only availability of online resources was critical in determining student attendance. Differing views of lectures and the importance of attendance may contribute to the different overall perceptions of lecture capture in these two groups

A case study: Views on the practice of opting in and out of lecture capture

Lecture capture use has increased in recent years. Research shows that staff and students view capture differently, but their views on the practice of opting-in and out has not been investigated previously, even though this element of practice can be specified in institutional policy and governance. Focus groups revealed that staff were unclear on issues around consent and both groups i) felt staff should determine whether to capture their lectures, although students felt opting-out should require approval from senior staff and ii) recognised the need to communicate in advance about capture provision. Survey data showed the two groups differed in policy preference, with student’s preferring Opt-out and staff wanting Opt-in, and in terms of whether approval should be needed to opt-out. However, there were similarities with both groups believing impact on lecture content was the most acceptable reason to opt-out and, if approval was needed, that this should be at the department level. While significant differences exist in how staff and students perceive opting in and out of capture, there is common ground which should inform the wider debate around the use of lecture capture. Furthermore, the current research identifies key issues on which staff and students should be consulted when introducing lecture capture such as consent and reasoning for use or non-use. Consultation on these topics may result in a policy more appealing to both groups

Chronic amphetamine enhances visual input to and suppresses visual output from the superior colliculus in withdrawal

Heightened distractibility is a core symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Effective treatment is normally with chronic orally administered psychostimulants including amphetamine.Treatment prevents worsening of symptoms but the site of therapeutic processes, and their nature, is unknown. Mounting evidence suggests that the superior colliculus (SC) is a key substrate in distractibility and a therapeutic target, so we assessed whether therapeutically-relevant changes are induced in this structure by chronic oral amphetamine. We hypothesized that amphetamine would alter visual responses and morphological measures. Six-week old healthy male rats were treated with oral amphetamine (2, 5 or 10 mg/kg) or a vehicle for one month after which local field potential and multiunit recordings were made from the superficial layers of the SC in response to whole-field light flashes in withdrawal. Rapid Golgi staining was also used to assess dendritic spines, and synaptophysin staining was used to assess synaptic integrity. Chronic amphetamine increased local field potential responses at higher doses, and increased synaptophysin expression, suggesting enhanced visual input involving presynaptic remodelling. No comparable increases in multiunit activity were found suggesting a mphetamine suppresses collicular output activity, counterbalancing the increased input. We also report,for the first time, five different dendritic spine types in the superficial layers and show these to be unaffected by amphetamine, indicating that suppression does not involve gross postsynaptic structural alterations. In conclusion, we suggest that amphetamine produces changes at the collicular level that potentially stabilise the structure and may prevent the worsening of symptoms in disorders like ADHD

The effects of tryptophan loading on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity in adults:A remote double blind randomised controlled trial

BackgroundDespite the impact and prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), current treatment options remain limited and there is a drive for alternative approaches, including those building on evidence of a role for tryptophan (TRP) and serotonin (5-HT). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of acute TRP loading on attention and impulsivity in adults with ADHD.Trial design and methods We conducted a remote double blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) using TRP loading to examine the effects of a balanced amino acid load in comparison to low and high TRP loading in individuals with ADHD (medicated, N = 48, and unmedicated, N = 46) and controls (N = 50). Participants were randomised into one of three TRP treatment groups using stratified randomisation considering participant group and gender using a 1:1:1 ratio. Baseline testing of attention and impulsivity using the Test of Variables of Attention Task, Delay Discounting Task, and Iowa Gambling Task was followed by consumption of a protein drink (BAL, LOW, or HIGH TRP) before repeated testing. Results and ConclusionsNo effects of TRP were observed for any of the measures. In the present study, TRP loading did not impact on any measure of attention or impulsivity in those with ADHD or Controls. The findings need to be confirmed in another trial with a larger number of patients that also considers additional measures of dietary protein, plasma TRP and aggression. (Registration ID ISRCTN15119603)<br/

Using the five-choice serial reaction time task to examine the effects of atomoxetine and methylphenidate in the male spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder and is normally treated with either stimulant or non-stimulant medication such as methylphenidate and atomoxetine respectively. The impact of these drugs on attention and impulsivity has been explored extensively in healthy animals but there is little research into their effects in an animal model of ADHD. In the present study we investigated the effects of both drugs on the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model of ADHD using the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT). We found a number of difficulties associated with training this vulnerable strain on such a complex task. However, where rats were able to learn the task we found very small effects of methylphenidate; increased incorrect responding and therefore decreased accuracy, a marker of attention at a single dose. There were no significant effects of atomoxetine on accuracy once multiple comparisons were taken into consideration. We found no effects of either drug on premature responding, a marker of impulsivity. These results indicate that the 5CSRTT may not be most sensitive to the impulsivity displayed in the SHR. Furthermore, they suggest that the SHR may lack predictive validity and further investigation is needed to optimise use of this model

The digital microscope: a tool for teaching laboratory skills in distance learning courses

The majority of undergraduate students studying for a science degree will at some point carry out experiments in a laboratory setting, thus developing their practical skills and understanding of experimental principles. For distance learning students, there is no laboratory setting available for them to complete such work and as such there is a risk that they will lack these key skills. The Open University has developed a computerized tool, in the form of a Digital Microscope, to allow students to collect data to investigate the effects of drugs of abuse on different regions of the rat brain. Small groups of students were set a specific hypothesis to investigate, in this instance students were looking at the differential effects of cocaine and amphetamine on the caudate putamen. Using the microscope students counted the number of Fos positive cells in the caudate putamen to contribute to a group data set. Tutors collated the data from all students in the group and returned the full set to them for analysis and interpretation. In order to evaluate the Digital Microscope we compared student data with data collected by a tutor on the course and obtained feedback questionnaires from students and tutors. We found that while student counts were substantially higher than those made by a tutor, the relationships between experimental groups were preserved. Furthermore, the majority of students and tutors felt that using the microscope had provided useful experience of a number of key practical skills including obtaining and collating data, and the potential areas of error in experiments. Both tutors and students felt that the provision of the microscope had added value to the course. In light of these positive ratings, we feel that this unique tool is useful, not only in distance learning, but also in traditional universities where animal experimentation is limited

Learner ownership of technology-enhanced learning

Purpose This paper aims to examine the different ways in which learners may have ownership over technology-enhanced learning by reflecting on technical, legal and psychological ownership. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a variety of examples of technology-enhanced learning ranging from open-source software to cloud storage to discuss the three types of ownership. Findings It is suggested that learners do not yet own technology-enhanced learning and that, at present, there are different degrees of learner ownership depending on whether technical, legal or psychological ownership are considered. Originality/value The discussion presented here is the first to consider all three types of ownership of technology-enhanced learning and demonstrates the complexity of the issue when this broad view is considered. </jats:sec

Neuroscience: viable applications in education?

As a relatively young science, neuroscience is still finding its feet in potential collaborations with other disciplines. One such discipline is education, with the field of neuroeducation being on the horizon since the 1960s. However, although its achievements are now growing, the partnership has not been as successful as first hopes suggested it should be. Here the authors discuss the theoretical barriers and potential solutions to this, which have been suggested previously, with particular focus on levels of research in neuroscience and their applicability to education. Moreover, they propose that these theoretical barriers are driven and maintained by practical barriers surrounding common language and research literacy. They propose that by overcoming these practical barriers through appropriate training and shared experience, neuroeducation can reach its full potential