While students may find comfort in having the ability to attend
lectures in the privacy of their own rooms, some professors are
less enthusiastic about the new technology which allows them to do
so.
Tape recorders have become a trend of the past as some
professors are making the move to have their lectures put online
via BruinCast, a service that was introduced fall quarter by the
Office of Instructional Development.
But some professors are not wholly convinced that broadcasting
lectures online is the right way to enhance the higher education
learning experience.
“Why have the class then?” said Professor Arthur
Arnold, who is currently teaching Life Science 2 without BruinCast.
“I don’t have to go to class either.”
Though Arnold said he may consider using the service in the
future, his main concern is that having class lectures available
online will take away one of the vital elements of education:
interaction.
“I think that the move to make coming to class a
dispensable item is not good,” Arnold said. “(The)
strong impression is (that) the best education comes from human
contact.”
But students in Professor Jay Phelan’s Life Science 2
lecture have the luxury of viewing their lectures online ““
and students seem pleased.
Dave Martin, a second-year electrical engineering student in
Phelan’s course, said it is a helpful resource for when
it’s impossible to make it to lecture.
“If you miss the class (BruinCast) is good,” said
Andrea Siu, a second-year microbiology, immunology and molecular
genetics student, adding that it is a great resource for reviewing
before a test.
Though students appreciate having the entirety of their lectures
placed online, some said they still prefer to experience the
lecture first-hand.
“In class I get more information and there is the ability
to interact and ask questions with the professor,” Martin
said.
While students and professors using the online service do not
see a dramatic decline in student attendance, some professors are
still trying to pinpoint the benefits of utilizing such a
service.
Professor Fuyuhiko Tamanoi, who is teaching a Life Science 3
lecture without BruinCast this quarter, is still deciding on
whether he will make use of the new technology in the future.
“I don’t see any value in doing that on a
campus,” Tamanoi said. “Discussion with the professor
is more important than watching a broadcast.”
Like Arnold, Tamanoi is less worried about declining attendance
than the demise of student-teacher interaction.
“Spontaneous discussion is what I try to do in my
class,” Tamanoi emphasized. “It’s very difficult
to replace … if you just watch a broadcast.”
Most professors agree discourse within a classroom setting is
crucial, but having lectures available online is still a beneficial
option, said Professor Chentao Lin, who is currently using
BruinCast for his Life Science 3 lecture.
“(Interacting) with other students and professors can
never be replaced by (an) online experience,” Lin said,
adding that he hopes the service helps those students who do not
regularly attend class.
Though new technological services are becoming easily accessible
for in-class lectures, the possibility of having entirely online
courses at UCLA is unlikely.
“Televised instruction is not a new idea,” Arnold
said, emphasizing that there is a reason why many universities have
not turned to such teaching methods. “It’s not the same
as being engaged in class (and) asking questions.”