Class Capture

What if you could guarantee to never miss anything in class again.

Problems with Taking Notes

• Getting everything down in time• Recognizing all the important information the

first time• Remembering why you wrote that particular

note down• Perhaps you simply have a bad writing hand

Universal Design

• A design principal where the product can be used effectively by anyone

• I’ll be using this idea but time does not allow for every aspect of the project to be truly universally accessible

• I will be including cross-platform compatibility and non-sighted navigation

Existing Technology

• Lots of standard tools for note taking• Simple recordings• Media prepared by the instructor• Video recording• Task specific Programs like Dragon Speech• Even some hybrid note and audio recording

technologies

Problems with Recording a lecture

• Time spent listening to entire recording

• Finding a key point

• Relating to written notes

Media in the classroom

• PowerPoint• Full class recording possibly with subtitles• Movies, Projectors and other devices

• Have advantages and disadvantages but all require great effort from the instructor

The field of lecture capture

• Lecture Capture involves the various technologies and methods used to record lectures.

• Most case studies are recent or ongoing• Transcribing videos is a big topic• Sometimes used to enhance the experience

Advantages

• For Students who miss a class• Enhanced ability to review the lecture• Improved course accessibility

Useful sites

• http://liberatedlearning.com• http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teachin

g-with-technology-articles/multimedia-lectures-tools-for-improving-accessibility-and-learning

I recommend checking these sites to find more recent innovations.

Smart Pens

• Can record anything you can write with the lecture

• Expensive• Require new ink and depend on battery life

PerfectNotes

• One of the best user interfaces I found for replaying notes

• Limited to what you can type• Would require a license for each computer

increasing costs

What’s missing?

• Integration of the student’s notes with the multimedia experience

• A way to include the best features without the limitations and time consuming prep work.

• The goal of Class Capture is to remedy these problems.

The best of each

• Time stamped notes• Audio recording• Video Recording (possibly)• Cross-platform usage• New control for the instructor

Details

• Recordings are made on one machine that the students will connect to through a website

• All notes are time-stamped with the recording and saved to a database, reviewable from a different page

• The Instructor controls the recording, deciding when it starts and stops.

Project Components

• Webpage(s)• Server• Recording application – (VLC Player)• Data storage and retrieval • Client management – (privacy settings)

Website

• The interface and first priority of this project• All the principals of Universal Design and

functionality must be meet at this level

• Making the website BrailleNote accessible is one of these goals.

Website Development

• Most of my time will likely be spent in this area

• Using html and javascript tutorials, I will create a working webpage over break

• A friend of mine has agreed to test the website using her BrailleNote during it’s development

VLC Media Player

• Provides easy recording for both audio and video streams (MPEG file types)

• Also has a useful website to aid with development

• Has high ratings for usage with different platforms

Client Side

• The student’s interface for note taking and playback.

• Two pages are needed; One for during class recordings and one for playback of past recordings.

• A third page could be used as a login screen.

Server Side

• Management of the recording and Data storage.

• This is also the instructors machine to manage the lecture.

• This would even work for online classes.

Visually

Server

Client

Client

Client

Instructor

Student

Student

Student

Storing Recordings

• Transfer speed and file size are the primary points of concern.

• Currently, Data will be stored on the same machine that makes the recordings.

• At this point, only playback over the website will be considered to avoid compatibility problems.

Expanding Further

• Including a video recording that can sync with the audio and notes Using features offered by the VLC player.

• Adding capabilities such as bookmarks and changeable fonts.

Noting Future Possibilities

This project could be expanded on much more in the future.

• Adding a speech to text converter would allow individuals with hearing loss to use the application

• Instructors could even use this to closely monitor the note taking ability of their students

Citations

• "Braillenoteusers.info." BrailleNote - An Introduction. HumanWare, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.

• Bart, Mary. "Multimedia Lectures: Tools for Improving Accessibility and Learning." Faculty Focus. Faculty Focus, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

• Conaway, Todd. "Lecture Capture Can Change Classroom Dynamics for the Better - Faculty Focus | Faculty Focus." Faculty Focus. Faculty Focus, 15 June 2011. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.