[TLC] Guidelines for the development and effective use of online lecture notes

[Morag Munro]

Dear Colleagues

I would like to re-open the debate regarding online lecture notes, with 
the specific objective of identifying and documenting some approaches 
and techniques that can be adopted to mitigate any negative effects of 
providing student access to online lecture notes.

As well as re-opening the email debate, It would be beneficial for us to 
meet together to share any ideas we may have. As we are a large group I 
would like to propose a number of meeting dates:

Tuesday 1 April, 2.30-4.30, Q205, Business School
Wednesday 2 April, 2.30-4.30, Q205, Business School
Thursday 3 April, 2.30-4.30, Q205, Business School

Prior to any discussion, It would be helpful if you could discuss this 
issue with your own colleagues, particularly those who have had 
experience in this area.

Some specific issues I would like feedback on are detailed below:

o Approximately what percentage of your department provide access to 
online notes?

o To what level of detail are notes being provided? Online notes can 
range from a brief outline of the topics covered to something 
approaching a full transcript of the lecture. What has worked best? Are 
different approaches more appropriate to different disciplines or to 
different types of learning objectives?

o What practical challenges have people faced when providing online 
notes? Do people feel that they have the skills and tools available to 
produce online notes? Is more training in this area required? Are people 
put off developing online materials because they believe that it will be 
too time consuming? Are there any discipline specific problems, for 
example, rendering mathematical or chemical notation for web delivery? 
How have these problems been overcome?

o What evidence is there of the effects (positive and negative) of the 
provision of online notes on attendance, performance, student 
motivation, student-lecturer communications etc.?

o Where negative effects have been encountered, what mitigating 
strategies have been tried? What has worked, what hasn't?

o Are students asked to read notes in preparation for the lecture? Do 
they? Has this helped them to be better prepared for the class? Has this 
helped to facilitate a more a more active learning environment?

o Has anyone tried omitting content and making it available only at the 
lecture? How successful was this strategy?

o Has anyone tried taking a class register to encourage attendance? Did 
this effect attendance? How did the students react? What is the general 
feeling about taking a class register?

o Has anyone requested student feedback on their feelings on the 
provision of online notes? (I am hoping to conduct a student survey on 
this issue this semester.)

In addition, are there any other aspects of this issue that you would 
like to comment on?

I would be grateful if you could let me know if you will be available on 
any of the above dates.

Please feel free to invite any interested colleagues. I look forward to 
hearing your ideas and opinions on this matter.

Morag

-- 
Morag Munro
Office of the Dean of Teaching & Learning
L1 16 CA Building
Dublin City University
Dublin 9, Ireland
Tel:  +353 1 700 5606
Fax:  +353 1 700 5442
Email: morag.munro@dcu.ie
http://odtl.dcu.ie/