With the holidays around the corner, I’m reminded of what
I’m thankful for this season.
And strangely enough, BruinCast is somewhere at the top of my
list of blessings.
BruinCast is a service that provides Internet-accessible
videocasts and audiocasts of currently selected lectures. Because
of the fast-paced, time-constrained, dense nature of lectures,
BruinCast is an essential supplement to learning because it allows
students to review lecture material at their convenience.
Although all classes could benefit from offering BruinCast, only
a fraction have this privilege, at 17 classes this quarter.
Fortunately, the figure has risen steadily since last fall when
BruinCast was first launched as a pilot program.
The service initially met with controversy because of fear of
lower attendance rates. According to Stan Schein ““ a
psychology professor teaching two webcasted classes this quarter,
Life Science 2 and Psychology 115 ““ attendance has dropped in
LS 2 but not in Psych 115.
Students suggested this difference could be due to older, more
experienced students in Psych 115 who appreciate going to lecture
and use the webcasts as supplements to learning instead of
replacements, unlike the younger students in LS 2.
True, BruinCast can be an invitation for abuse. However, it
wouldn’t be fair to make it unavailable to those who would
correctly use it because of its potential misuse.
And those who do attend reap great benefits. According to some
responses that Instructional Design & Technology Coordinator
Daniel Bustos received from instructors, “(Professors) spend
less time explaining (lecture material). Students come to office
hours and ask better formulated questions because they understand
the subject better.”
Furthermore, recorded lectures help students find the precarious
balance between trying to listen while taking notes at the same
time. BruinCast relieves the pressure to jot down everything on the
board, as webcasting assures lecture availability. And less writing
means more listening, which leads to better mastery of the
material.
“When you have the option (of BruinCast), you have more
excuse not to go to class,” said Shuk Chan, a second-year
biochemistry major and LS 2 student.
“But people who do use it are usually the ones trying to
learn,” said Chan, who attends all lectures and also watches
lectures via BruinCast about twice a week for review.
In some cases, however, BruinCast has been necessary for that
reason: Students cannot make it to class.
According to Schein, the lower attendance rates in LS 2
initially convinced him to drop the BruinCast program.
However, he retained the program when he discovered that a
student could not make it to lecture and resorts to BruinCast due
to childcare issues.
In such situations, BruinCast offers equal accessibility to
lectures, regardless of personal circumstances.
Webcasts should by no means substitute in-class lectures, but
when no other alternative exists, it’s nice to know the offer
is there.
BruinCast’s video element also proves especially vital
because in classes with heavy visual components, such as
anthropology and organic chemistry, audiocasting is of little
help.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the money
nor the technological aptitude to purchase a video camera.
Videocasting gives all students a technological edge.
Luckily, financial constraints do not seem to be a great
obstacle with BruinCast, which is currently available in seven
campus lecture halls.
According to Bustos, the costs are a “one-time investment
per room” with the installations of video systems at $6,000
per room and audio systems at $400 per room.
“If the equipment is replaced every three years and you
average 10 courses per room, the basic (video) infrastructure cost
per course drops rapidly to around $60 per course (not including
manual labor fees),” Bustos said.
Not too heavy of a price tag, if you ask me.
It’s true that the greatest blessings don’t
necessarily have the highest monetary values. Consider it a gift
from the university, if you will, because ’tis the season to
be thankful ““ and to learn.
If video cameras are on your wish list, e-mail Yoo at
jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.