How eduStream works

If a subject offers eduStream, a recording is made of each lecture as it is delivered in the theatre. It is then made available on the Internet, so students can use a web browser to listen to their lectures and access other learning materials. A lecturer can choose to offer this facility to all students in the subject, or just to students at satellite campuses.

Overview

Setup

A lecturer indicates that they want to offer eduStream lectures. A meeting is held between the lecturer and eduStream staff to confirm that eduStream is suitable for the subject, clarify expectations and explain what eduStream does, what it can (and can’t) offer and how it works.

Ideally, the lecture is then timetabled to occur at an eduStream venue, currently:

• 20.1
• 20.2
• 20.3
• 20.5
• 67.107
• 40.Hope
• and four further venues in 2005

Once the venue and timetable are confirmed, eduStream staff enter the lecture times, venue, the choice of regional streaming servers and other details into the eduStream database. This database automates the equipment in theatres as well as the web site containing the eduStream lectures.

Before session commences, an eduStream staff member gives the lecturer a briefing on how to work with eduStream, which includes an introduction to the equipment they will work with and a discussion of teaching and learning aspects.

When each lecture is delivered, an eduStream computer in the venue records the audio and optionally any images from a document camera in the theatre. The computer digitises these recordings in an automatic process (driven by the database).

For lectures not held in eduStream venues, MiniDisc recorders can be used to make an audio-only version of lectures, at any location. These are borrowed by the lecturer from the AV store. After the lecture, the MiniDisc is dropped back to the AV store and the recording is manually digitised by CEDIR.

Uploading PowerPoint slides

The lecturer uses a simple web interface (The iLectures Staff Tool) to upload PowerPoint slides for each lecture, to the eduStream system (see page 17). This can be done prior to each lecture, after each lecture or at the beginning of session.
The same system is used for all eduStream lectures, whether they were recorded at an eduStream venue or using a MiniDisc.

Student access

Students can use:

• a computer at the Student Central Computer Laboratories on Wollongong campus
• a computer at a regional Education Access Centre, or
• a home computer with local Internet access (24 hour, seven days a week).

Access is usually by a link from an eduStream page on the WebCT site for of the subject. If WebCT is not used, direct access can also be provided.

A lecturer can nominate whether:

• Students are not permitted to download lectures. If this option is chosen, students must be connected to the Internet to access lectures. Some lecturers prefer this option as it reduces the possibility that their ad hoc spoken words will be in circulation after session finishes.
• Students are permitted to download all or some lectures, for their personal use in studying for that subject. Students prefer this option as they don’t have to be connected to the Internet each time they access the file. However, a level of control of the distribution of the material is removed.

What's involved - lecturer checklist