Why having in-person lectures when e-learning and podcasts are available?

摘要

Due to technological progress, students can now watch courses on their television using a professional multimedia courseware, or on their computer with podcasts broadcasting the lectures in real-time. As they do not have to spend time commuting and can pause a lecture to follow it at their own pace, one may think that they would stop attending classes. Furthermore, research has shown students only using online mediums performed in average as well as the ones opting for an in-person lecture. In this paper, we wish to foster a discussion on what is becoming tangible reality. We examine how to combine videos with more active class settings, suggesting several ideas taking into account not only technical but also human aspects. We conclude our exploration by advising a use of videos to distill skills while putting more emphasis in processes in the classroom: having students presenting their approaches on related problems would ensure mastering of the content from the videos as well as critical thinking that many courses often lack.