This TILE Network seminar featured Dr Kirk Hillsley discussing the lecture capture paradox, exploring both the benefits and drawbacks of recording in-person lectures. Motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about accessibility, Hillsley initially viewed lecture capture as wholly beneficial, but observed unintended consequences such as very low lecture attendance.
Using data from multiple biology courses, Hillsley analysed relationships between lecture recording use and exam performance. He found that students who watched recordings tended to achieve higher grades, and greater viewing time was positively associated with performance. However, this relationship was complex: high-performing students often did not rely on recordings, instead attending lectures consistently. Additionally, when students watched more recordings than usual—likely reflecting cramming behaviour—their performance declined.
A follow-up quasi-experimental study comparing recorded versus non-recorded lecture blocks revealed that while recording use correlated with better performance for some students, overall availability of lecture capture was associated with lower exam scores, possibly due to reduced attendance and procrastination. Hillsley interprets these findings through self-regulated learning theory, suggesting that lecture capture benefits well-regulated learners but may harm those prone to procrastination.
He concludes that lecture capture is a double-edged sword, recommending careful implementation and further research into how it shapes student behaviour and learning outcomes.
[This summary was generated by AI and checked for accuracy and edited by a human.]
Abstract
Lecture capture (LC) offers students flexible opportunities to review lecture content, yet their impact on learning and study behaviour remains contested. This seminar synthesizes two projects examining LC use and exam performance across undergraduate biology courses enabling both between- and within-student analyses.
In the first dataset, continuous LC availability was examined across in-person courses, each with three independent, non-cumulative exams. LC viewers outperformed non-viewers (66.1% vs. 59.4%). Zoom analytics showed that total LC view time was the most significant metric. Mixed-effects modelling revealed opposing associations of total view time (+1.74% /hour) and number of lectures viewed (-1.92% per lecture), with the combined metric of ‘average minutes viewed per lecture’ being the strongest predictor of exam performance. Decomposition of total LC time suggested a positive between-student effect (+2.52% /hour) but a negative within-student effect (-0.84% /hour) consistent with “cramming”.
The second dataset extends these findings using a within-course quasi-experimental design in which half of lecture blocks were recorded and half unrecorded, with attendance electronically tracked. Across both datasets, results are consistent with a Theory of Self-Regulated Learning interpretation: LC can enhance achievement when integrated into regular, distributed study routines, but mere availability may inadvertently foster counterproductive study habits.
About the speaker
Dr Kirk Hillsley
BSc in Physiology and Ph.D in Neurophysiology, Sheffield University UK
Postdoc’d in USA
Research director at a small Canadian biotech company
Lecturer at Ontario Institute of Technology
Lecturer at Trent University (2014-)
SoTL research on Lecture Capture (starting in 2023) emerged from the COVID pandemic.
